WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN was originally reviewed during the 2011 Stella Artois 20th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival

Imagine yourself as a parent. Now, aside from outliving your own child, imagine the worst thing that could happen. Despite all your best efforts to be a good parent, to raise your child properly, imagine your child does something horrific and unforgivable. Imagine they have done something that turns the entire community against you. Now you are as prepared as you possibly can be for watching WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, from Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay, whose previous two feature films are RATCATCHER (1999) and MORVERN CALLAR (2002) and both films are extraordinary. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN is the third feature film written and directed by this exciting new cinematic voice. This also happens to be her darkest film, and perhaps her best film to date.

Tilda Swinton plays Eva, a worldly free-spirited woman who suddenly finds herself settled down with her husband Franklin, played by John C. Reilly, and having a child. Eva, despite her best efforts to be the mother she’s expected to be, never wanted a child. Still, Eva tries her very best to raise her son right, but from a very early age, there’s something Eva sees in Kevin that sends chills down her spine, something only she sees, while Franklin is fully submersed in the intoxicating drug of fatherhood, blind to the warning signs.

Ramsay constructs this frighteningly all-too-familiar story with a mastery of non-linear progression. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN is really Eva’s story, while her son Kevin is the film’s antagonist. This is mother versus son on a level as close to being a horror movie without being a horror movie. Eva has her flaws, both as a mother and as a human being, but Swinton gives her such authentic emotions, such conflicted motives and desires that we can’t help but fully empathize with her. It’s not just her son she must contend with, nor her community after the tragic event, but Eva’s most debilitating struggle is with herself, coping with the guilt of what has happened on her watch as a mother.

Ezra Miller plays Eva’s son Kevin as a teenager, while his various stages of youth are played by other child actors. Most notably frightening as a child is Rock Duer, who plays Kevin as a toddler. A mostly silent role, Rock will creep you out! If THE OMEN had not already been remade, I would count Rock as a shoe-in to play Damien. However, it’s Ezra Miller’s performance that stands out in defining Kevin as the troubled, enigmatic and dangerous teenager.

John C. Reilly is sort of an odd choice for this film. His character is the right fit for his style, goofy and lovable, but it often struggles to fit the dramatic mold setup in WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, contrasting with the intensity of Swinton’s performance, but at the same time somewhat saved by Ezra Miller’s ability to shift his character’s diabolical personality with such smoothly polished seams. Regardless, Franklin is a relatively insignificant character to the story, a tool by which to strengthen the mother-son dynamic more than a central focus.

Ramsay has crafted an incredibly dark, terrifying story of the American family, while also engaging the audience is some rather black humor. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN is one of those films that makes you laugh, then immediately feel like you’ve outright sinned for laughing at what’s really a very sad, unfortunate ordeal. The film will likely shock most audiences, hopefully most audiences, but more importantly should bring Lynne Ramsay more to the forefront of American audiences as the next great female filmmaker.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Gender disguise has been used most predominately in movies for generating laughs. As a matter of fact, the American Film Institute, in their list of the greatest movie comedies ( via their TV special ” 100 Years, 100 Laughs ” ) , had TOOTSIE as number two and SOME LIKE IT HOT as number one. Most feature men dressing up as ladies to get a job in the former and escape gangsters in the latter. Occasionally dressing in drag has been used in dramatic films as in YENTL in which a woman assumed a male persona in order to gain an education. This theme is explored in the new film ALBERT NOBBS in which the title character attempts to circumvent nineteenth century society’s rules and create a better life for his/herself. Actress Glenn Close played the title character in an off-Broadway stage production thirty years ago. Since then she’s established herself as one of the great screen stars, but bringing this story to the screen has eluded her till now. Does this tale still resonate three decades later?

The slight, quiet, soft-featured Mr. Nobbs has worked as a waiter/valet at a luxury hotel ( for many guests, it is a boarding house ) for the owner/ operator Mrs.Baker for many years. Each night Nobbs retires to his sparse, meager servant’s room in the hotel and counts his tip money. He jots down the totals in a small diary, hides his savings under a floor board, and dreams of a better life. His plans are almost sidetracked by the arrival of a house painter, Hubert. Paige ( Janet McTeer ) . MINOR SPOILER ALERT ( well if you know the actors involved, it’s not too much of a twist ). Mrs. Baker insists that Mr. Paige share a room (and bed ) with Mr. Nobbs despite Albert’s protests. His fears come to pass as Paige learns Nobbs’s secret: he is a she ( a flea had made its way under Albert’s tightly strapped corset. Nobbs is more skittish than usual around Paige over the next few days until Paige reveals that he shares the same secret. Not only that, but she’s married and has a home in the back of his wife’s seamstress shop. Nobbs is fascinated and soon visits the couple. Can they give any advice on how Albert can follow his dream of owning a tobacco shop and sharing the living quarters with a wife ( perhaps the hotel’s lovely, young blonde housekeeper Helen Dawes ( Mia Wasikowska ). VERY MINOR SPOILERS DONE!

For such an unusal premise, the film is very low-key. It’s almost a PBS or BBC-America Victorian drama ramped up with a star cast and spiced up with gender disguise. Perhaps the main problem is Hobbs. We learn little of what drove him to this subterfuge besides a vague story about being poor, orphaned, and abused as a child. For most of the time he blends into the hallways of the hotel. A great deal is made of her perusal of the young Helen, but he has no real passion for her. When she demonstrates a ” lovers’ kiss” on Nobbs, he almost has an attack. Helen ‘s just one step of the big plan for Nobbs, who seems to be more passionate about operating the tobacco shop than romance. The shallow young woman only really cares for the hotel’s bad-boy Joe ( Aaron Johnson ), who’s the robust young eye candy for the hotel’s ladies. Wasikowska is not given a chance her to flex her acting chops here as she did in JANE EYRE and THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, while Johnson is riffing on the anti-social aspects of his young John Lennon from NOWHERE BOY. Close makes for a believable, wispy, older gentleman ( although the scenes of Albert going over his plans aloud don’t translate well from stage to screen ) and has a great rapport with McTeer’s Mr. Paige. Hubert is burly, rough, and quite a flirt with the maids and hotel owner ( who reciprocate ). It’s a role requiring charm and tenderness which McTeer nails down confidently. What perhaps resonates most from the film is not the gender politics ( or the affairs and secrets of the staff ), but the treatment of the working or servant class by the upper-crusts of high society. The bullying and the verbal (and often physical ) abuse is quite startling. ALBERT NOBBS is a well made journey through this long ago era, but unfortunately like it’s title character, the film is too formal and reserved. The film is strapped down tighter than Albert’s corset.

Overall Rating: Three and a Half Out of Five Stars

PARIAH joins a long line of coming of age dramas set in New York ( in this case Brooklyn ). It deals with a young African-American woman about to finish high school and explore the world. Unlike many of these films, this protagonist is concealing her sexuality from her family and many friends. The title refers to the reaction many have gotten when they’ve come out. They’re treated as pariahs-outcast and ostracized. Writer/ director Dee Rees tells this story with great sensitivity and avoids exploitation and stereotyping.

The film follows Alike ( Adepero Oduye ) during her last few months of high school. She lives with her religious mother Audry ( Kim Wayans ), usually absent policeman father Arthur ( Charles Parnell ) and bratty, spying kid sister Sharonda ( Sahra Mellesse ). Alike is a quiet student who excels in her writing class. After school she meets up with her best pal, the hard-working, living on her own Laura  ( Pernell Walker ) and the two cruise the local underground lesbian bars and dance clubs. Laura tries to encourage the shy Alike to be more outgoing. Before the bus ride back to her family , Alike changes back into the more feminine wardrobe that her mother has given her and tries to sneak back into her bedroom. Audry suspects something, but can’t get the attention of her distracted husband. The marriage seems to be on very shaky ground. In trying to distance her from Laura, Audry encourages Alike to hang out with the daughter of church friend. Alike doesn’t have anything in common with Bina ( Aasha Davis ), but soon the women bond over music which leads to more serious shared feelings. Can she tell this to her parents without losing them, like her pal Laura did? It’s a very complicated senior year for Alike.

Dee Rees directs the drama with a steady hand and gets terrific performances from this mostly unknown cast. Oduye lights up the screen as she blossoms into a strong, young woman reeling from her first true love, but still concerned about having her secret life exposed. Walker shows the tender hurt little girl inside the tough-talking Laura. She tries to be supportive to Alike while still stinging from her family’s rejection ( a visit to her Mom is truly heartbreaking ). The big surprise her is Wayans. I didn’t realize she was Audry until the end credits rolled. After seeing her in many TV comedies over the years I was taken aback by her strong dramatic work as the uptight, sad matriarch. The location work is exceptional and the film moves at good pace. The tender intimate scenes are offset with the violent confrontations against the gay community. The final scenes may be a bit too pretentious ( flying metaphors abound ), but PARIAH is sweet drama that presents a different viewpoint of growing up today.

Overall Rating: Three and a Half Out of Five Stars

Golden Globes viewers hopefully caught George Clooney’s very witty acceptance speech for Best Actor in a Dramatic Motion Picture in THE DESCENDANTS. He singled out a couple of the other nominees and teased Michael Fassbender for baring all in SHAME. Movie goers might go to this NC-17 rated film in anticipation of a titillating bedroom romp featuring two of cinema’s most exciting young stars. But the explicit scenes lose their erotic lure fairly quickly. Sex in this story is used much as drinking was used in the Billy Wilder classic THE LOST WEEKEND. What starts as a fun and glamorous activity turns quickly into degradation and abuse. Both film’s heroes are out of control, flawed men who must hit rock bottom before they change their behavior and save their lives.

Brandon Sullivan ( Fassbender ) seems to be single thirty-something who has it all. He’s got a lush ( probably very expensive ) apartment in the heart of the Big Apple. But something’s not quite right. His answering machine ( mmm, people still have those! ) is filled with messages from frustrated dates and conquests ( as the film progresses one caller’s pleas take on many tones: angry, inquisitive, sarcastic, etc.). He does live internet sex chats and orders up call girls as you get pizza delivered. In the morning, after pleasuring himself in the shower, he downs energy drinks and drifts into his office. There his sleazy, married boss David ( James Badge Dale ) enlists Brandon as his “wing man” has they troll for women during ” happy hour “. Brandon’s lifestyle is disrupted by the arrival of his kid sister, Sissy ( Carey Mulligan ). She’s coming off another failed relationship and needs a place in NYC to crash while her singing gig at a club lasts. Her behavior is a wake-up call to him ( Sissy pleads with former beaus on the phone, just as the desperate women on his machine ), and Brandon must decide how he will live the rest of his life.

Director Steve McQueen ( no relation to the Hollywood icon ) elicits strong performances from both main actors. Mulligan’s Sissy is a battered, bruised soul. Her breathy, hesitant rendition of the old staple ” New York, New York ” expresses her longing for someone who’ll stick by her. But the film is really Brandon’s story and Fassbender exposes much more than just flesh. Brandon is a spiralling out-of-control sex addict, who slowly wakes up to see how his actions destroy himself and those all around him. He hopes that a relationship with a co-worker will put him back on the right path, but his fractured psyche will not be so easily healed. By the time we see him on an erotic bender, sex has little enjoyment, it’s almost mechanical. McQueen gives us a quiet, low-key, dimly lit Manhattan that offers all manner of temporary cures for the lonely, broken hearts. There’s no easy solutions or quick-fixes ( for that matter, we never really find out the reasons for Brandon and Sissy’s dysfunctions ) in this sad, powerful tale but like Ray Milland in THE LOST WEEKEND, Fassbender’s Brandon can hope to find the strength to battle his inner demons one day at a time. The film drags a bit in its final third, but thanks to the work of Mulligan and Fassbender, it’s worth spending an evening with this damaged duo.

Overall Rating: Four Out of Five Stars

Few living things on this planet are more majestic than a horse. Creatures of graceful beauty and tremendous strength, almost as closely bonded with mankind as the dog, yet as a civilized species we’ve put the horse through so much over our centuries old relationship with the gentle giants.

WAR HORSE, directed by Steven Spielberg, offers a glimpse into the life of just one of these fine creatures. The story is told from the perspective of one horse named Joey, raised from a freshly born colt by an Irish farm boy named Albert (played by Jeremy Irvine) who immediately forms a strong friendship, only to be devastated when World War I hits home and the horse is sold into the cavalry by Albert’s father Ted (played by Peter Mullan).

What follows is the emotional journey of Joey through the trials and tribulations of war. Joey trades hands multiple times, his possession transferred from the British cavalry to German soldiers and to a frail young country girl and her pacifist grandfather. The film’s journey has no central human character, but several roles filling a segmented timeline. This creates a sort of anthology effect, allowing the viewer to more easily experience how this one horse could bring people together as it does.

WAR HORSE has two specific strong points; the performance – if you will allow me the liberty to call it such – of the horse playing Joey, and the gorgeous cinematography from Janusz Kaminski, a regular collaborator of Spielberg’s. The soft, glowing warmth of the scenes away from war and the colder, gray tinged scenes during and surrounding the war, compliment each other, but also often coincide and crossover to meld the two realities into one inseparable truth of the time and place of the film.

No one performance truly stands out amongst the human actors, except maybe that of Neils Arestrup’s as the frail girl Emilie’s Grandfather, the most endearing and convincingly unique performance. Otherwise, the entire cast performed wonderfully in their respective roles, never reaching beyond the scope of their purpose. The cast of many youthful and a few veteran names include Emily Watson as Albert’s mother, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston, David Thewlis and Eddie Marsan.

The original score for WAR HORSE is composed by the legendary John Williams – you know… the guy who helped immortalize Luke Skywalker, Indiana Jones and Superman in our collective aural memory. Surprisingly, the music in this film does not display that characteristically dominating presence of Williams’ most recognizable work, instead slipping into the background to near subliminal effect. I personally didn’t even realize I was listening to John Williams until reaching the end credits, when for the first time, his music became vividly apparent.

WAR HORSE is just as much about the tough times as it is about the horse’s journey. One thing I relished in observing during this film was the attention given to details and lesser known facts about World War I. There is one very powerful scene in the third act that takes place in no man’s land between the British and German trenches. The grounds are obliterated, bodies mangled and tossed about the tangled chaos of the barbed wire. This is not a violent scene, but rather an incredibly poignant and uplifting scene depicting an example of occurrences that actually took place during the war. While WWI and WWII may share very similar names and scopes of conflict, they were in fact two very different wars with two very different pairs of warring sides.

In the end, WAR HORSE delivers on the type of ending most audiences will expect and want, which is fine because it’s warranted in this film. Expect a journey that lasts just barely more than two hours, but doesn’t feel exceedingly long, a journey that will touch the animal lover within and remind us that wars are waged by governments, but fought be regular Joes, and Joeys.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Marilyn Monroe was a complicated woman. Even today, people struggle to make sense of her life and career. For many, she was merely a starlet, a famous actress and icon with the world wrapped around her finger. They believe she had the perfect life. The truth, however, is the subject of MY WEEK WITH MARILYN. The story revolves around a young man named Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) who wishes to make his own way by breaking into the motion picture business, instead of riding on his father’s success. Colin ventures out to obtain a job — any job will do — with Sir Laurence Olivier’s production company in London. Colin’s timing and youthful determination lands him on the set of THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL. This is how he meets Marilyn Monroe, played by Michelle Williams.

As London prepares for the arrival of the world’s most famous woman, Sir Laurence Olivier, played by Kenneth Branagh, prepares to director and star in a film with the sexiest woman on Earth. Part of him somehow hopes for a flirtatious rejuvenation, despite being married to actress Vivien Leigh of GONE WITH THE WIND, played by Julia Ormond, and Marilyn being on her third marriage, this time to the accomplished playwright Arthur Miller, played by Dougray Scott.

Directed by Simon Curtis, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN is his feature theatrical feature film. Curtis was worked primarily as a producer, and as director of multiple television series and made-for-TV movies. While this may sound like a warning sign for a mediocre movie, the rule does not apply in this case. The film may have a subtle element of melodrama, but is overwhelmingly insightful and uplifting in a non-sappy sort of way.

How does a virtual nobody like Colin Clark fit into the legendary story of Marilyn Monroe? The screenplay is based on the diaries written by Clark during his time with Marilyn, on and off the set of THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL, at the time titled THE SLEEPING PRINCE. Colin Clark wrote two books about Marilyn Monroe; “The Prince, The Showgirl and Me” and “My Week With Marilyn.” The interesting dynamic of the relationship between Colin and Marilyn is that, despite her incredible success, talent and fame, she still thought of herself as a regular, flawed person. She was a frightened woman, nervous and paranoid of being abandoned.

These traits come from Marilyn’s troubled and frankly sad childhood. Marilyn was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Rather, she worked very hard for her success, which occurred over time, not overnight. Beginning life as Norma Jean, she invented the persona of Marilyn Monroe, but she would continue to struggle with this throughout her unfortunately short life. Marilyn found it difficult coping with the constant attention as Marilyn, feeling like her own true identity was being held captive beneath the overpowering persona of her own invention. Colin comes into play soon after meeting Marilyn. She seems him as a kindred spirit, a regular guy. She could trust Colin and open up to him. What happens between them is left for you to experience in the film, but it’s the basis of support that triggers their unlikely bond.

Michelle Williams is breathtaking. Not only does she portray Marilyn with stunningly accurate beauty – in appearance, voice and mannerisms – but she captures the conflict so well. Williams’ has tapped into the psyche of Marilyn, allowing MY WEEK WITH MARILYN to humanize the woman Colin calls “a Greek goddess.” Branagh is stellar as Sir Laurence Olivier, a role meant for him alone to play. Branagh gives Olivier a frustrated hilarity, with class and manners, but also shows the temperamental perfectionist behind the camera.

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN chronicles many previously unrecognized elements of cinema from that long gone era. The trials and tribulations between Sir Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe working together on a film was a fragile balancing act, bringing two eras of filmmaking together, illuminating the inevitable death of the ways things have been, ushering in the new era of Method acting and the new Hollywood star.

Aside from Williams’ and Branagh’s potentially Oscar-worthy performances, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN also serves up inspired supporting performances from Judi Dench as Dame Sybil Thorndike and Emma Watson as Lucy, the young wardrobe worker on set with whom Colin has a romantic interest. In addition to the acting, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN features a soundtrack for the music lover at heart. Conrad Pope provided the rich orchestral original score, while the film also features fabulous pieces of the era from Dean Martin and Nat King Cole. Most impressive is Michelle Williams doing her own singing when Marilyn performs… a treat in and of itself, especially during the “Old Black Magic” performance during the end credits.

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN is an enjoyable, well-made movie for anyone who is familiar with the icon and the era to enjoy, but I highly recommend the film to those less familiar with Marilyn, or those who perhaps only see her as the persona and nothing more. For those, the film should hopefully be an eye-opening thrill and a testament to the artist more than her creation alone.

MELANCHOLIA originally reviewed during Fantastic Fest 2011.

Writer and director Lars von Trier has shared his own personal experience with depression with the public, so its not surprising that his newest film, MELANCHOLIA, is such a strong representation of what that experience could be like. The auteur filmmaker revealed in an interview accompanying the screening of the film that MELANCHOLIA is not a story of his own account with the condition, but rather that his experience clearly helped him in telling an honest, accurate story two sisters, dealing with two distinctly different types of depression.

One thing MELANCHOLIA certainly succeeds at is dividing its audience, but Lars von Trier has a history of making films that do just this. Generally speaking, his films are either hailed as visionary masterpieces or criticized as pretentious, boring and self-indulgent. My experience lies very much in the center for virtually each of his films, and this one is no exception. I found myself compelled by the intensely accurate portrayal of a character living with depression, and the extraordinary cast as a whole, but also felt the film runs a bit long, which will lessen the impact the film can have on many viewers. Structurally, MELANCHOLIA is split into two parts, each chapter titled with character’s name whose point-of-view drives that chapter.

Part One – Justine (Kirsten Dunst) is an attractive, successful advertising copywriter who is about to get married to Michael (Alexander Skarsgard), the man of most womens’ dreams, but despite her best efforts, her crippling fight with depression overwhelms her. Partially triggered by he mean-spirited mother Gaby (Charlotte Rampling), her emotionally unavailable and playfully immature father Dexter (John Hurt) and her asshole boss Jack (Stellan Skarsgard), Justine has a sever breakdown that leads to a soul-shattering lever of personal disaster that would send anyone into a deep abyss of self-loathing. The difference, however, is that Justine’s depression is clinical and beyond her control, an experience so many people suffer daily. Much like those in real life, Justine’s family is less that supportive, even down right dismissive, except for her sister Claire.

Kirsten Dunst has rarely impressed me as an actress, but she shocks the hell out of me with her stellar portrayal in MELANCHOLIA. I am saying it now, with no regrets, that Dunst deserves an Oscar nomination — at least — for this role. Her ability to capture the range of emotions, the unpredictable change in moods and the paralytic effects of depression on both the mind and body are astounding. Without going into detail, I am speaking from a point of personal experience, from which I draw a great amount of my comparison. This is why, ideally, this film needs to be seen by everyone, but I am fully aware this will not happen. This is unfortunate.

Part Two – Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is Justine’s sister, her best friend and at times her worst enemy. Claire is as supportive as she can be, at times emotionally and physically drained by the amount of energy she must commit to helping her sister, which is intensified by also having a child, Leo, and a wealthy but selfish husband John (Kiefer Sutherland) who is the richest, whiniest money-pincher I’ve seen on film in years, but Sutherland does a great job in one of the first widely seen roles since his time on the TV series 24.

Claire is a women who deals with a much more manageable, yet unbearably brutal form of situational depression. Her primary catalyst for her breakdown is the result of MELANCHOLIA’s sub-plot that spells the end to everything, period. Charlotte Gainsbourg is every bit of fascinating on screen as her counterpart Dunst, which is what makes focusing on Dunst so difficult. Her performance, as is her character, is drastically different from Dunst’s and for good reason. It’s a reactionary role, whereas Dunst’s character is simply being, in the moment, for better or for worse.

Regarding that “sub-plot” I mentioned… MELANCHOLIA is on a very minimal level a science-fiction film, but don’t allow this to sway your preliminary outlook on the film, which begins with a tremendously uncharacteristic use of CGI from Lars von Trier. MELANCHOLIA opens with a superbly rendered depiction of a cosmic disaster, involving the planet Earth and a previously unknown planet that has been hiding behind the sun. Set to a beautiful, orchestral score, the scene sets the mood for the remainder of the film, and is the only bit of CGI in the film until the very last scene. MELANCHOLIA uses this setup as an experiment for how we may react to the knowledge that everything we know and are will inevitably end while we, as a species, are collectively conscious of that end as it occurs. On this level alone, I love what Lars von Trier is doing.

MELANCHOLIA is an astounding work of cinema, even with its flaws which include the need for a more streamlined storytelling structure, a slightly shortened running time and a final CGI ending that would have played better with a simple dissolve to white. Aside from Dunst’s and Gainsbourg’s performances, the star of the film is the cinematography from Manuel Alberto Claro, combining gloriously picturesque landscape composition with intimately personal shots capturing mood and moments of heaviness, but also showcasing some truly phenomenal slow-motion cinematography that makes Zack Snyder’s slo-mo style look like it’s in a hurry. I could watch MELANCHOLIA repeatedly, just for the visual masterpiece it is, especially when combined with the fittingly moody classical score that accompanies this cinematic interpretation of depression unlike any other.

MELANCHOLIA is currently playing in St. Louis at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre.

Imagine yourself as a parent. Now, aside from outliving your own child, imagine the worst thing that could happen. Despite all your best efforts to be a good parent, to raise your child properly, imagine your child does something horrific and unforgivable. Imagine they have done something that turns the entire community against you. Now you are as prepared as you possibly can be for watching WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, from Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay, whose previous two feature films are RATCATCHER (1999) and MORVERN CALLAR (2002) and both films are extraordinary. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN is the third feature film written and directed by this exciting new cinematic voice. This also happens to be her darkest film, and perhaps her best film to date.

Tilda Swinton plays Eva, a worldly free-spirited woman who suddenly finds herself settled down with her husband Franklin, played by John C. Reilly, and having a child. Eva, despite her best efforts to be the mother she’s expected to be, never wanted a child. Still, Eva tries her very best to raise her son right, but from a very early age, there’s something Eva sees in Kevin that sends chills down her spine, something only she sees, while Franklin is fully submersed in the intoxicating drug of fatherhood, blind to the warning signs.

Ramsay constructs this frighteningly all-too-familiar story with a mastery of non-linear progression. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN is really Eva’s story, while her son Kevin is the film’s antagonist. This is mother versus son on a level as close to being a horror movie without being a horror movie. Eva has her flaws, both as a mother and as a human being, but Swinton gives her such authentic emotions, such conflicted motives and desires that we can’t help but fully empathize with her. It’s not just her son she must contend with, nor her community after the tragic event, but Eva’s most debilitating struggle is with herself, coping with the guilt of what has happened on her watch as a mother.

Ezra Miller plays Eva’s son Kevin as a teenager, while his various stages of youth are played by other child actors. Most notably frightening as a child is Rock Duer, who plays Kevin as a toddler. A mostly silent role, Rock will creep you out! If THE OMEN had not already been remade, I would count Rock as a shoe-in to play Damien. However, it’s Ezra Miller’s performance that stands out in defining Kevin as the troubled, enigmatic and dangerous teenager.

John C. Reilly is sort of an odd choice for this film. His character is the right fit for his style, goofy and lovable, but it often struggles to fit the dramatic mold setup in WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, contrasting with the intensity of Swinton’s performance, but at the same time somewhat saved by Ezra Miller’s ability to shift his character’s diabolical personality with such smoothly polished seams. Regardless, Franklin is a relatively insignificant character to the story, a tool by which to strengthen the mother-son dynamic more than a central focus.

Ramsay has crafted an incredibly dark, terrifying story of the American family, while also engaging the audience is some rather black humor. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN is one of those films that makes you laugh, then immediately feel like you’ve outright sinned for laughing at what’s really a very sad, unfortunate ordeal. The film will likely shock most audiences, hopefully most audiences, but more importantly should bring Lynne Ramsay more to the forefront of American audiences as the next great female filmmaker.

ALL THOSE YESTERDAYS was originally reviewed during the St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase.

ALL THOSE YESTERDAYS is a moody, introspective drama about life and love. It magnifies the little things, paying scrupulous attention to dialog and the subtleties and mannerisms of body language. Unfortunately it fails to engage or present characters that are involving and, even at a brief 75 minutes, emerges as a pretty dull experience. Several years after their romance ended, thirty-somethings Nathan (John Gregory Willard) and Maggie (Lilly Bibb) meet for coffee and end up spending the day talking. They talk about what went wrong. They talk about what might have been. They stop talking for a minute, stare at each other wistfully, and then talk about why they’re so damn miserable. As Director and Cinematographer, Aaron Coffman’s low-budget first feature is well-produced. His compositions are carefully judged, his overcast camerawork well-matches the character’s moods, and the film does a decent job of showing off some St. Louis exteriors. It’s the under-wrought, half-baked script that’s the problem. These two characters are never given anything to do or say that that gets your heart racing. Their problems and their lives simply aren’t unusual or compelling enough to make us care or hold our attention. This is a movie so solemn that you patiently wait for some twist or turn or anything of interest to happen but it never does. By failing to establish a strong narrative, ALL THOSE YESTERDAYS wastes one excellent performance. The romantic element is the film’s only reason to exist and thanks to a winning, natural turn from Ms. Bibb, there is a small degree of chemistry between these two. She has an off-kilter, bespectacled beauty that can withstand the many silent close-ups and I hope to see her in more films. I just wish the dialog coming from her and Willard’s mouths was remotely interesting. But these two spend the entire movie moping about St. Louis droning on about nothing until their inevitable (off screen) roll in the hay. I’d call it a soap opera, but at least soaps are known for excess while this artificial drama just sits there. There’s a thin thread of a story. A big business deal for Nathan falls apart and his girlfriend gets jealous but ALL THOSE YESTERDAYS is a dour, unambitious sudser that never lifts off the ground, no matter how hard it flaps its wings.

Psychoanalysis is arguably still as polarizing in today’s society as it was a century ago when Sigmund Freud first conceived it. The very idea of all human neurosis being derived from a primal sexual foundation has controversy written all over it, which is what makes it such a fitting topic for David Cronenberg. Cronenberg’s career has spanned from RABID (1977) to A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (2005) and most vividly with VIDEODROME (1983) and NAKED LUNCH (1991) – all of these films have one thing in common; sexually charged, taboo subject matter.

A DANGEROUS METHOD tells the story of Carl Jung, a protégé of Freud’s, and his triangular relationship with him and patient Sabina Spielrein during the emergence of psychoanalysis. Jung and Sabina go through a sort of symbiotic metamorphosis. Cronenberg focuses on the shift in character that occurs in Jung, which occurs in conjunction with his treatment of Sabina. They’re relation begins as strictly doctor-patient but transgresses into a sexual enlightening experience for both parties, leading to events to affect the professional relationship of all three characters.

For Cronenberg, A DANGEROUS METHOD is impressively subdued. The film is far less visually graphic and the events are far more cerebral than visceral. Regardless, the thematic elements of sexual taboo, fear and perversion are still very much in play. The film is adapted from the book of the same name by John Kerr, which lends the film its historical relevance. This is most likely the primary reason for a more restrained approach, but the film still works remarkably well.

Michael Fassbender (INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS) plays Carl Jung, a highly educated and passionate follower of Freud’s theories, the first to apply these concepts in treating a patient. That patient in Sabina Spielrein, played with remarkable intensity by Keira Knightley (NEVER LET ME GO). Freud is played by Viggo Mortensen (THE ROAD). Each character carries a specific level of emotional intensity throughout the film, allowing the dialogue-driven story to convey peaks and valleys to further engage the audience. Vincent Cassel (BLACK SWAN) plays Otto Gross, a small character with a significant purpose as a catalyst for Jung’s metamorphosis. Cassel also provides the sole source of crucial comic relief as the morally uninhibited and sexually obsessed doctor turned patient in Jung’s reluctant care.

Mortensen, playing a somewhat older character, is the calming element of the triangle. Freud rarely steps away from his levelheaded, perhaps stubbornly confident roots. Freud is very much a supporting character, a vessel through which Jung and Sabina channel their destructive yet therapeutic behavior. Fassbender strips away the confidence of Jung’s youthful ambition, breaking his psyche down into its conflicting parts from which he rebuilds himself. He shows the most range within his single character. But its Keira Knightley who outdoes herself in A DANGEROUS METHOD, showing an entirely new depth to her range, an extreme not similar to but far beyond her performance in DOMINO.

Easily the most exhilarating and profound moment in A DANGEROUS METHOD is during Jung’s initial session with Sabina. The film begins with Sabina being carried, kicking and screaming, into the hospital where Jung will attempt to treat her. In this long, boldly static scene the camera remains stationary. Cronenberg composes the frame carefully, creating a geometrically aggressive shot with Sabina in the foreground and Jung seated just off to the side and behind her, just slightly out of focus as he proceeds to dissect Sabina’s condition through a series of questions. Knightley’s performance is at first intimidating, even off-putting as she virtually assaults the viewer with her interpretation of Sabina’s physically manifesting psychosis. However, after a very short period of time, as I began to be drawn into the intricacies of her acting I began to realize the brilliance of the scene. Cronenberg set up the shot, and then allowed Knightley to carry the scene and she does with spellbinding conviction.

A DANGEROUS METHOD is a sexual film, without being blatantly graphic and direct with that sexuality. Cronenberg works so comfortably within this context that it never feels awkward or forbidden, but rather like the logical progression of such relatively fringe science to the time. Psychoanalysis is a science that feels much more like an art, a curious juxtaposition that really doesn’t occur in any other branch of the sciences. Cronenberg successfully presents a portrait of two maverick minds in a way that humanizes them, instead of placing them infallibly on pedestals. A DANGEROUS METHOD suggests the human animal is not greater than its primal instincts, but has the power to accept itself for what it is and in turn discover freedom from blindly imposed sexual morals.

Willfully changing who we are is arguably one of the hardest things to do in life, perhaps even impossible, but does that mean we shouldn’t try? TYRANNOSAUR paints a portrait of Joseph, a man filled with rage and overwhelmed by his violent past and a nearly uncontrollable urge to remain so. However, something is driving Joseph to change his ways and become a peaceful man.

Set in working class England, TYRANNOSAUR is the feature film debut from Paddy Considine, who wrote and directed the film. Paddy Considine is best known as a versatile actor from such films as HOT FUZZ, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM and the recent festival hit SUBMARINE. His roles have ranged widely, but have always had certain flair, so it’s no surprise this film feels like his own as well, even from behind the camera. There’s a philosophical wit to the writing, a quality I believe comes from his experience as an actor in smaller more insightful films.

Peter Mullan (CHILDREN OF MEN, TRAINSPOTTING) plays Joseph, an upper-middle-aged widower with a whole bag of chips on his shoulder. There’s a story behind “Tyrannosaur” being the title of the film, told by Joseph in a very reflective moment, but to reveal this would be a disgraceful spoiler, so you’ll just have to find out for yourself. The entire film is an exploration of Joseph’s internal emotional and struggle with his past and present, fighting the urge to lash out and express his anger through physical destruction, a psychological cancer that’s eating him alive.

Olivia Colman (HOTFUZZ) plays Hannah, a Christian woman who runs a charity thrift shop and the focus of Joseph’s efforts to better understand himself and how to overcome his violent tendencies. After meeting in a rather awkward, less than friendly manner, Joseph and Hannah bond and become friends. The relationship evolves from a mutual need for support into something deeper and more intimate, but not sexual. Hannah has her own demons, but hers are externally inflicted by her abusive husband James, played by Eddie Marson (SHERLOCK HOLMES).

Together, Mullen and Colman exhibit chemistry like adding Mentos to Diet Coke, explosive and shocking. Joseph appears to be the strong and silent type, but beneath this veneer is a man more frightened of himself than anyone else. Hannah is a woman who appears weak on the surface, a fragile doormat, but there’s a survivor lurking deep within that slowly simmers to an eruptive boil. What these two characters do for each other, at least in theory, is to keep each other in check.

TYRANNOSAUR is a dramatic character-driven story, powered primarily by it’s three primary actors’ stellar performances and excellent direction from having an experienced actor helming the overall vision. The film maintains a dark, gray and subdued visual palette to compliment the equivalent thematic tone. It would be easy to label the look of the film as soulless, but the soul of TYRANNOSAUR is just hidden beneath all the self-loathing filth that the characters must wash away. Ultimately, this is one of the most devastatingly emotional films that leaves you feeling uplifted that I’ve ever seen.

Fair warning… TYRANNOSAUR will make some viewers uncomfortable. In the words of a good friend and fellow canine enthusiast, this is a double doggie snuff film. I only say this because this makes many people very angry. You should know this going in, but please don’t let it stop you from watching. Secondly, there are some rather mean things done by James, and I don’t mean unrealistic SAW-type violence. Eddie Marsan takes his performance in HAPPY-GO-LUCKY and makes it look like an afterschool special, portraying the psychologically deranged James as an unpredictable husband who physically, emotionally and sexually abuses his wife Hannah.

Racism is never an easy topic to tackle in any medium, so when you add class warfare and the peer pressure of gang culture to the story, it triples the difficulty of pulling off a believable and sincere film. Against the odds, this is precisely what first time writer and director Aimee Lagos has accomplished with 96 MINUTES. Inspired by true events, 96 MINUTES is a story of four young lives, each of them on separate paths which violently collide.

Brittany Snow (THE VICIOUS KIND) plays Carley, an upper-middle class hard-working white college student studying law. Evan Ross (THE FAMILY TREE) plays Dre, a young black man from a gritty part of town whose determined not to fall into the gangster life, despite retaining his friendship with Kevin, played by Jonathan Michael Trautmann, a 16-year old white kid with a troubled home and dreams of becoming a gangster. Christian Serratos (TWILIGHT SAGA) plays Lena, a young Hispanic woman struggling with her failing romantic relationship.

One of the first things that came to mind while watching this film was Paul Haggis’ 2004 Academy Award-winning film CRASH. There is a parallel between the themes and styles of the two films, but the differences outweigh the similarities. You may want to sit down for what I’m about to tell you…

96 MINUTES exceeds CRASH as both a believable story and a sincere portrayal of the topics of racism, class warfare and gang culture. That’s right. This small indie film from a first time filmmaker is more successful than an Oscar-winning film from a veteran director. I’m not suggesting CRASH is a bad film, merely expressing that I felt more connected with 96 MINUTES, a film that delivers a more authentic and natural scenario, more true-to-life performances, and a far more lasting impression on the viewer.

Lagos approaches the structure of 96 MINUTES much the same, orchestrating a non-linear tale that allows us into each of the four separate lives, while also gradually building tension as she reveals the details of how these four lives violently intersect. The timeline of the film progresses forward and backward simultaneously, giving the narrative a suspenseful, edge of your seat appeal that maintains the viewer’s need for excitement, while still delivering a powerful message about the inequalities still present in our society.

96 MINUTES is presented in a cinema verite, hand held style of cinematography. The film looks good, but its unpolished by design, enhancing the assumption that everything we see on the screen is actually happening. This is an interesting, if not discouraging way of viewing the film, because the truth is the events depicted are actually happening in real life everyday. Once again making a comparison to CRASH, which I felt was overly polished, even bordering on melodramatic at times, a setback entirely absent from Lagos’ take on the subject matter.

One element of 96 MINUTES that I wasn’t expecting to be so engaged with was the score from composer Kurt Farquhar. The music ranges from viscerally tense soundscapes to influences of hip hop. Much like Lagos, the composer has clearly brought his own personal experience into the making of this movie. One other favorite factor from the film is the performance by David Oyelowo (THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND) who plays Duane, an uncle to another young man from Dre’s neighborhood, but whose involvement in the story is far richer and well-crafted than would be expected from a supporting character. His presence gives the film a richness of emotion in the third act and will be noticed.

JOINT BODY was originally reviewed during the St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase.

JOINT BODY is the newest film from indie writer and director Brian Jun, whose 2006 film STEEL CITY earned him the Sundance Channel Emerging Director award at the St. Louis International Film Festival. The film was shot just across the Mississippi River in Illinois, Jun’s home state.

The story takes place over seven days in a small town, following Nick (Mark Pellegrino) as he stumbles through an uncertain future. Having served seven years in prison, Nick is released on parole, with the condition that he relinquishes all rights of custody over his now teenage daughter to his ex-wife. Nick settles into a shabby halfway house and secures a job welding for a fabricator. Nick’s brother Dean (Ryan O’Nan) is now a cop on the vice squad, fresh out of the academy. In an awkward attempt to rekindle some connection that never exists between him and his brother, Dean supplies Nick with a throwaway revolver as protection.

As Nick slowly acclimates to life outside of prison, he meets an exotic dancer named Michelle (Alicia Witt) who lives in his building. With nothing left to lose, Nick proposes he and Michelle get coffee, with about as much confidence as a high school nerd asking the prom queen to dance. As it turns out, Michelle has little more to lose and they form the fragile beginning of a blind relationship, but their relationship is turned on its head shortly after it begins when someone from Michelle’s past returns unexpectedly, resulting in a violent incident putting Michelle and Nick down the wrong path once more.

Brian Jun, in my eyes, is already showing signs of a master storyteller. JOINT BODY is unpretentious, down to Earth and unassuming. The human drama he weaves is like a minimalist tapestry with the finest details. The suspense that builds in JOINT BODY is a slow burning sensation, taking a back seat to Jun’s development of tactile characters the viewer can connect with, only enhanced by performances that should result in a heightened respect for these two lead actors, as well as the director.

Mark Pellegrino, most recognizable for his television work on shows including Dexter and Lost, delivers fully as a misunderstood ex-con who only wants to live what little is left of his life without being noticed, but can’t shake the stigma now attached to his presence. Alicia Witt, best known for her role on the TV series Friday Night Lights and her recent role in PEEP WORLD, gives the audience one more reason to love her, embracing her role as a stripper, but adding so much to the character’s well-written role to lift Michelle out of the stereotype and into the hearts of the audience. Michelle is a good woman, stuck in a dead end situation by an immature decision made as a teenager.

JOINT BODY is shot with a gritty, almost sepia-tinged color palette, giving the story an added sense of decay. Layer the crumbling appearance of the small town on top of this and the film carries with it a subconscious tone of impending tragedy. Whereas the average reaction to such a setup would be for Nick to defy the law and set out to reconnect with his daughter, Jun takes the story in an entirely different direction. Nick makes every effort to do things right, while Michelle inadvertently pulls Nick into a worst-case scenario like a magnet for bad luck, despite her best intentions.

What I love most about JOINT BODY is how Brian Jun makes everything about this story beautiful, not in a storybook perfect sort of way, but in a way that takes all the bad things and unhappy feelings that are inherent in life and shows that even the darker gray shades of the human experience can have a poetically somber beauty. Where Hollywood would inject melodrama, Jun relies marvelously on realism and authenticity. This element of the film is present throughout the film, leading up to a partially open-ended, bittersweet conclusion that is as heartbreaking as it is fittingly appropriate.

I am proclaiming JOINT BODY as one of my favorite films of 2011. Within an hour of first seeing the film, I found myself with an overwhelming urge to revisit it a second time. I wanted to reconnect with Nick and Michelle, almost as if I wanted to make sure they were all right. Few fictional films actually make me feel like I actually care about the characters, but JOINT BODY does this effortlessly, leaving a deep and lasting impression with me that keeps resurfacing in my mind. If this is something you enjoy experiencing in a film, or never have and would like to know what it’s like, go see JOINT BODY and tally this as one more reason why independent film needs and deserves your support!

MACHINE GUN PREACHER is an unusual entry into the biographical film genre. Like other works this one involves ongoing news events, but it’s unusual nature reflects the title subject. Sam Childers is as a preacher ( or pastor ) of a small church who, unlike other men of faith that embrace pacifism, takes up arms ( like machine guns as in the title ) in order to protect the innocent from evil. These ideological conflicts should leave many film goers with much to discuss after the lights go up at the multiplex.

After a horrific pre-credits sequence set in a remote Sudanese village, the film heads to Pennsylvania to introduce us to Childers ( Gerard Butler) as he is released from jail. It appears that incarceration has not changed his ways. After some reunion sex while parked off the side of the road, he and his wife Lynn ( Michelle Monaghan) return to the trailer park where they’re greeted by their young daughter and his mother-in-law ( Kathy Bates ). Sam and Lynn get into a fiery argument. After joining a local church, she quit her job at a local strip club.Minutes later, Sam kicks open the trailer door and returns to his favorite tavern. There he meets up with his party pal Donnie ( Michael Shannon ) and soon Sam picks up where he left off. The two are boozing, shooting up, and ripping off a local drug dealer. When one of their wild nights almost ends in a fatality, Sam finally decides to change his ways. He joins his wife’s church, starts a construction business, moves the family into a new house, and eventually ends up building his own church. Before branching out on his own, Sam hears a missionary tell of his work in Uganda. Inspired, Sam travels there to use his building skills. During some down time he chooses to visit the Sudan instead a party hot spot. Accompanied by a local soldier, Sam’s horrified by the conditions there. Children march from their village into the town to sleep at night to avoid being kidnapped ( the boys are trained for combat ) by rebel forces. Later Sam walks through a burned out village and sees a boy killed by a land mine. Now Sam has a mission: to build an orphanage school in Sudan. He divides his time over there with his life in the states. He tries to raise funds and keep his family and church going ( he’s become the pastor of his new church ).Childers soon becomes a man of two worlds. In Pennsylvania he fights apathy ( and often hostility ) in getting the money for his overseas church and in Africa he literally battles (packing an arsenal ) alongside a small group of soldiers to protect the children.

In many ways the film itself is of two worlds. We’re shown how a man on the path to Hell can make a detour and become a caring husband and father. And we also see him taking up a noble cause and fighting fire with fire. It’s a spiritual awakening drama and a Rambo-like shoot-em-up. It seems to have a tough time meshing ( particularly in a scene in which Childers preaches that, ” God wants wolves, not sheep!”). It also veers into the controversy which THE HELP has encountered, namely poor, black folks that need to be rescued by a noble white man. Putting the ethical issues aside, the film becomes repetitive. The battle scenes are a loud fury of gunfire, running, and explosions ( lots of rocket-launchers ). It’s at least 25 minutes too long. The actors do their best to make the material work. Butler has taken a much needed brake from “rom-com” hell, but is not completely convincing as this “Pennsylvania hillbilly”. He still seems to be struggling with his accent work. Monaghan and Baker have little to do besides look on with concern at the pre-pastor Sam and smile encouragingly at him later. The real stand out is Shannon’s Donnie who tries to change his ways with Sam, but can’t quite find his way out of the booze and drug fog. I look forward to his next roles. MACHINE GUN PREACHER should be commended for a shining a light on this troubled part of the globe, but it takes a fairly simple approach to the conflict.

Overall rating : Three Out of Five Stars

Let’s hit the trail for an offbeat version of the old movie standby, the road picture. The new film directed by actor Emilio Estevez , THE WAY, veers sharply from classics like IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, and PLANES,TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES in that this film chronicles a journey that’s entirely on foot. It concerns a fictional group of characters undertaking the real pilgrimage called “El camino de Santiago” that hundreds embark on every year. In a twist on the old adage in that it’s all about the journey and the destination

Martin Sheen plays Tom, a widowed California optometrist who is estranged from his son Daniel ( played by real life son Emilio Estevez ). David has abandoned his college degree in order to explore the world. Tom’s receptionist tells him that Daniel called,but didn’t leave a number ( and he has no cellphone ). On a golf outing Tom gets the call that all parents dread. A French police captain informs him that Daniel was caught in a storm while hiking and has died. Tom jets to Europe to ID the body and make arrangements. The Captain tells Tom that David had just begun the walking pilgrimage, El camino de Santiago, which begins in France and ends at a cathedral in Spain. The next day Tom tells the officer that he will finish Daniel’s journey. The captain warns him of the dangers an untrained man in his sixties would face on this long hike. But Tom is determined and using his son’s backpack and supplies he joins the trail. Along the way he encounters three other pilgrims who become his traveling companions. First off is Joost ( Yorick Van Wageningen ) from Holland ( “If it ain’t Dutch,it ain’t much!” ), a friendly gregarious man who says that’s he’s walking to lose weight , but still overindulges in the local cuisine. Then they meet Sarah ( Deborah Kara Unger ) , a hardened American divorcee who hopes the walk will help her quit chain-smoking. The last member of the group is Jack ( James Nesbitt ) , a burned out Irish writer who wants to research a book about the whole trek. Along the way the four encounter nutty hostel proprietors, gypsies, and other travelers while opening up and becoming good friends.

Estevez has assembled a great group of actor for his father to work with in this spiritual travelogue. Wageningen is very entertaining as the party animal who eventually reveals the pain beneath the chatty, ursine exterior. A big screen welcome back to Unger as the tough Sarah. She throws up a formidable wall upon meeting Tom, but soon becomes the maternal heart of this group. Hopefully this film will be a transition from the femme fatale roles from her past ( CRASH, THE GAME ). Nesbitt make the blustery writer an endearing outsider who begins to warm up to the group over the course of the miles. All of them support the heart of THE WAY, Martin Sheen as the father who chooses an unusual way to deal with his grief. He’s determined that nobody else should know about his loss. He finally learns that these new friends can help him cope with his loss. Sheen has spent much of the last few years on the small screen ( THE DEPARTED was a rare screen appearance during his ” West Wing” stint ), so it’s great tos see him heading a film again. His flashback scene with Emilio really crackles ( unfortunately Estevez just pops up as a silent ghost that only Sheen can see along the road ). The scenery is lovely, but the movie would benefit from a shorter running time. By the conclusion I’d felt like I’d made the arduous hike. The length doesn’t detract from the beautiful, inspiring scenes inside the cathedral. If you’re looking for a European getaway and a chance to recharge your spiritual batteries than THE WAY may be the cinematic vacation for you. And you don’t need to pick up a new pair of comfy boots or a big sack of Euros.

Overall Rating: Three Out of Five Stars

Writer and director Lars von Trier has shared his own personal experience with depression with the public, so its not surprising that his newest film, MELANCHOLIA, is such a strong representation of what that experience could be like. The auteur filmmaker revealed in an interview accompanying the screening of the film that MELANCHOLIA is not a story of his own account with the condition, but rather that his experience clearly helped him in telling an honest, accurate story two sisters, dealing with two distinctly different types of depression.

One thing MELANCHOLIA certainly succeeds at is dividing its audience, but Lars von Trier has a history of making films that do just this. Generally speaking, his films are either hailed as visionary masterpieces or criticized as pretentious, boring and self-indulgent. My experience lies very much in the center for virtually each of his films, and this one is no exception. I found myself compelled by the intensely accurate portrayal of a character living with depression, and the extraordinary cast as a whole, but also felt the film runs a bit long, which will lessen the impact the film can have on many viewers. Structurally, MELANCHOLIA is split into two parts, each chapter titled with character’s name whose point-of-view drives that chapter.

Part One – Justine (Kirsten Dunst) is an attractive, successful advertising copywriter who is about to get married to Michael (Alexander Skarsgard), the man of most womens’ dreams, but despite her best efforts, her crippling fight with depression overwhelms her. Partially triggered by he mean-spirited mother Gaby (Charlotte Rampling), her emotionally unavailable and playfully immature father Dexter (John Hurt) and her asshole boss Jack (Stellan Skarsgard), Justine has a sever breakdown that leads to a soul-shattering lever of personal disaster that would send anyone into a deep abyss of self-loathing. The difference, however, is that Justine’s depression is clinical and beyond her control, an experience so many people suffer daily. Much like those in real life, Justine’s family is less that supportive, even down right dismissive, except for her sister Claire.

Kirsten Dunst has rarely impressed me as an actress, but she shocks the hell out of me with her stellar portrayal in MELANCHOLIA. I am saying it now, with no regrets, that Dunst deserves an Oscar nomination — at least — for this role. Her ability to capture the range of emotions, the unpredictable change in moods and the paralytic effects of depression on both the mind and body are astounding. Without going into detail, I am speaking from a point of personal experience, from which I draw a great amount of my comparison. This is why, ideally, this film needs to be seen by everyone, but I am fully aware this will not happen. This is unfortunate.

Part Two – Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is Justine’s sister, her best friend and at times her worst enemy. Claire is as supportive as she can be, at times emotionally and physically drained by the amount of energy she must commit to helping her sister, which is intensified by also having a child, Leo, and a wealthy but selfish husband John (Kiefer Sutherland) who is the richest, whiniest money-pincher I’ve seen on film in years, but Sutherland does a great job in one of the first widely seen roles since his time on the TV series 24.

Claire is a women who deals with a much more manageable, yet unbearably brutal form of situational depression. Her primary catalyst for her breakdown is the result of MELANCHOLIA’s sub-plot that spells the end to everything, period. Charlotte Gainsbourg is every bit of fascinating on screen as her counterpart Dunst, which is what makes focusing on Dunst so difficult. Her performance, as is her character, is drastically different from Dunst’s and for good reason. It’s a reactionary role, whereas Dunst’s character is simply being, in the moment, for better or for worse.

Regarding that “sub-plot” I mentioned… MELANCHOLIA is on a very minimal level a science-fiction film, but don’t allow this to sway your preliminary outlook on the film, which begins with a tremendously uncharacteristic use of CGI from Lars von Trier. MELANCHOLIA opens with a superbly rendered depiction of a cosmic disaster, involving the planet Earth and a previously unknown planet that has been hiding behind the sun. Set to a beautiful, orchestral score, the scene sets the mood for the remainder of the film, and is the only bit of CGI in the film until the very last scene. MELANCHOLIA uses this setup as an experiment for how we may react to the knowledge that everything we know and are will inevitably end while we, as a species, are collectively conscious of that end as it occurs. On this level alone, I love what Lars von Trier is doing.

MELANCHOLIA is an astounding work of cinema, even with its flaws which include the need for a more streamlined storytelling structure, a slightly shortened running time and a final CGI ending that would have played better with a simple dissolve to white. Aside from Dunst’s and Gainsbourg’s performances, the star of the film is the cinematography from Manuel Alberto Claro, combining gloriously picturesque landscape composition with intimately personal shots capturing mood and moments of heaviness, but also showcasing some truly phenomenal slow-motion cinematography that makes Zack Snyder’s slo-mo style look like it’s in a hurry. I could watch MELANCHOLIA repeatedly, just for the visual masterpiece it is, especially when combined with the fittingly moody classical score that accompanies this cinematic interpretation of depression unlike any other.

Successful film biographies often inspire ‘back-story’ sequels. Since many of these movies end at the conclusion of the subject’s life, producers will go back back and explore an earlier chapter of this remarkable individuals history. Hence, we’ve seen films like YOUNG MR. LINCOLN and YOUNG TOM EDISON. Now many years after AMADEUS, cinema explores the life of ten year old Mozart, but from a different viewpoint. As the title suggests MOZART’S SISTER is indeed this story told through the eyes of Wolfgang’s older sister (by five years). The movie is a fresh look at the formative years of this musical genius, but it also tells the story of an older sibling possessed of incredible talent who had no chance to shine in her brother’s long shadow.

Like many musician stories we first encounter the artists between ‘gigs’ and on the road. The Mozart family (father, mother, sister, and the star son) huddle for warmth in a coach bumping along down a desolate forest trail. Life is hard as they trek from one royal court to the next. Some of them keep the family waiting for days and weeks before the royal performance. Often, the family is not paid for their concerts. Pappa Mozart is a strict taskmaster who insists on many hours of practice everyday. He also makes sure that each child knows their place-sister must not play the violin as it is unladylike. The coach breaks down and the family seeks shelter in a nearby abbey. There they meet the four young daughters of French royal family (the king prefers them to stay hidden there and not reside at the palace). Maria befriends them and grows close to the youngest princess, Louise. She asks Maria to deliver a love letter to the son of a music master when the Mozart family reaches Paris. When they arrive at the palace, they learn that the kingdom is in mourning. The wife of the Dauphin (the Prince) has died in childbirth. In order to deliver the note, Maria must dress as a boy. The young music master is tutoring the Dauphin, who does not wish to associate with any females. Maria, in male drag, begins a friendship with the Dauphin. Will she reveal her true identity to him? How will this effect the family and impact the career of young Mozart?

MOZART’S SISTER is quite a treat for the ears and eyes. The music produced by the two young artists is very impressive. Kudos to the actors for handling the instruments convincingly. The costuming of that period is beautifully reproduced. All the settings from the palace interiors to the quiet abbey, classrooms, and apartments help send us to that 1700′s time period. Marc Barbe as the elder Mozart, Leopold, conveys the ambition and drive that compelled them to travel Europe. Delphine Chuillot gives Mama Mozart, Anna-Maria, a quiet dignity as she tries to accommodate her husband’s dreams while trying to provide a stable family atmosphere. Clovis Fouin as the Dauphin alternates between sadness and romantic interest while also being very mysterious. The young actors really shine in this film. David Moreau as little Wolfgang has the playful spirit of a young boy who doesn’t realize how the family’s future rests on his small shoulders. Lisa Feret is quite remarkable as a young princess who seems so wise for her age. Of course the movie sinks or swims on the performance of Marie Feret as (Nannerl) Maria Mozart. You can see her frustration in her eyes as she must take a back seat to the boy genius. Her father dismisses her work and ignores her creations. Her trepidation at dressing as a boy as in YENTYL is soon replaced by her attraction to the troubled prince.She makes us hope that she will triumph over a world that wants to put her in her place and toss her aside. MOZART”S SISTER has all the trappings of a big movie costume epic, but it succeeds in telling a quiet personal story of a young woman who just wanted a chance to share her musical gifts.

Overall Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars

One of the first fictional works to exploit the idea of identical twins from different social backgrounds was Mark Twain’s ” The Prince and the Pauper”. Television would pick up on the twin idea in programs as varied as ” The Patty Duke Show” and more recent “Ringer”. And of course the movies have jumped aboard with many film versions of the Twain novel and a couple of PARENT TRAP flicks. Well if turns out something similar has been going on in real life, particularly with Middle Eastern leaders and their families. This new film by director Lee Tamahori ( THE EDGE ) turns the clock back over twenty years In this true story of doubles and deception.

Dominic Cooper ( CAPTAIN AMERICA:THE FIRST AVENGER ) plays Latif Yahia, an ordinary man serving in the Iraqui Army. One day he is scooped up and brought to the royal palace in Baghdad. There he is re-united with his old classmate Uday Hussein, the son of the country’s dictator Saddam. Uday has decided that Latif will become his ‘fiday’ or body double. Latif is hesitant but reluctantly agrees after his family is threatened. He undergoes plastic surgery, is fitted for a dental prosthetic, and memorizes Uday’s mannerisms and history while his family believes that Latif died in battle. Latif is eyewitness to Uday’s physchotic behavior,violent outbursts, and sexual perversions. Somehow Latif catches the eye of one of the “party girls”, Saraab played by Ludivine Sagnier ( SWIMMING POOL ) and the two decide that they will somehow escape the clutches of Uday and his minions.

Tamahori has crafted a terrific film that’s part horror movie and part true political thriller based on Yahia’s book. News footage from the first Gulf War ( including speeches by Dick Cheney and George H. W. Bush ) is expertly woven into the proceedings. Uday’s mother, brother, and father are also portrayed in the film. Mom’s indulgent while the other two look at him with disappointment and disgust. We see bit of Saddam’s use of body doubles during an odd tennis match scene ( Did Saddam or his ‘fiday’ win the match? ).  The film is full of tension as the unpredictable Uday acts on his every sadistic whim. Two memorable sequences involve one of Saddam’s friends who spouts off at a party and Uday’s disruption of a wedding reception for a young soldier and his bride. We also see Uday’s relentless pursuit of schoolgirls through the city streets as citizens look on helplessly. The sets and costumes are very effective in showing off the opulence of the privileged royal family. Sagnier is impressive as the sexy, sympathetic, and conflicted Saraab. But the movie squarely rests on the very capable shoulders of Cooper in a bravura acting performance. He must pull off the distinct personalities of the two men and then show you Latif attempting to impersonate Uday. Cooper gives a quiet dignity to the young soldier who must coldly observe the horror around him. There’s very little of Latif’s subtlely in Cooper’s take on Uday. At first he seems a clown with his long cigars, bowl haircut, and over-sized teeth ( he almost resembles a circa 1950′s Jerry Lewis ), but then the beast emerges. This unmerciful, petulant child man turns into a mad, rabid dog that must be put down before more innocents suffer. This assured work from such a young actor makes THE DEVIL”S DOUBLE one of the year’s best films. Let’s hope his next film roles can fully make use of his talents.

Overall Rating: Four and a Half out of Five Stars

Every day thousands of people across the nation grit their teeth in frustration while reading the daily papers and weekly news magazines. Many more clench their fists against their armchairs while watching local TV news broadcasts. It seems the country ( or state or home city ) is going to ” Hell in a hand basket”! But they’re not part of the government-what can they do? Film maker Steve James ( HOOP DREAMS ) and author/producer Alex Kottlowitz addresses this dilemma in the powerful new documentary THE INTERRRUPTERS. the individuals profiled here, armed only with their wits and a cell phone, may be the most heroic action stars that you’ll see in the cinemas this year.

THE INTERRUPTERS documents the effort of an organization called CeaseFire to stem the rising tide of the youth violence ( particularly in the south side of Chicago ). As the title suggests these people, men and women ranging in age from their early 20′s through their 50′s, step in during heated altercations and attempt to restore calm before fists ( and rocks,bottles,knives, and guns ) strike out. We first meet the group’s founder, epidemiologistGary Slutkin, a man who traveled the globe battling disease and now wants to eradicate the disease of violence that is ravaging the community. One of the main Chicago co-ordinators, Tio Hardiman the creator of the “Violence Interrupters” program, meets the street team at a large table and helps map out trouble spots where they must concentrate their efforts. Like most of the Ceasefire members Hardiman’s youth involved gangs and crime. The film follows the team during a brutal year on those mean streets and focuses on three of these people trying to make a difference. While much of the work is with the African-American neighborhoods, the film spends some time with a former Latino gang member, Eddie Bocanegra ,who takes us to the spot where he took a life many years ago. He then conducts an art class with children at an inner city grade school that helps them deal with their fears. Later Eddie interacts with a family who lost their fifteen year old son to a stray bullet. We observe their daily gathering at his grave site and hear his younger sister tell of how he died in her arms. The most charismatic and vocal of the trio is Ameena Mathews, daughter of legendary gang leader Jeff Fort, who is one of the first CeaseFire workers to step in ( near the the start of the film she tries to diffuse a fight right outside their offices ). She tells of her time as a party girl and how the party ended when she was shot. Her struggle to reach out to a troubled nineteen year old girl, is full of setbacks and small victories. The busiest of the group may be Cobe Williams, who seems to doing a variation of the old plate-spinning act. He attempts to reconcile a single mother and her two teenage sons who belong to rival gangs. Then he’s doing his best to cool off a street hustler known as “Flamo” ( ironically enough ) who seeks revenge on whoever called the police on his family home ( Mom was put in handcuffs while his wheelchair-bound brother was taken to the station ). Finally he picks up a young seventeen year old after serving two years for armed robbery. After a tearful reunion with his sisters and kid brother, Cobe takes him to the barber shop he and his gang had robbed in order to apologize to his victims. Soon they’re trying to score a job for him . Unfortunately it seems that the CeaseFire team is always on the move with ver few breaks.

Like HOOP DREAMS James lets the participants guide the stories. There’s no flashy graphics, recreations,and animation in this portrait of a community in turmoil. James’s camera where there when the fatal beating of high schooler Derrion Albert made the national news after a grainy video of his murder hit the Internet. The CeaseFire team swoops in and stays with the family as the national media quickly moves on. There is some use of local TV news clips and newspaper headlines along with family photos and videos. The most haunting images maybe the piles of stuffed toys and makeshift posters and cards on street corners where a slaying has recently occurred. This film has more tension that the last five Hollywood thrillers combined. The team is determined not to use violence, but unfortunately they get caught in the crossfire. There’s no magic force field that protects them. In one scene Tio Hardiman is overcome with emotion when visiting an interrupter was was shot in the back while walking away from a street fight he thought had ended. With all this misery, THE INTERRUPTERS leaves you with a great belief in the good of humanity. Along with this horrific tales of carnage, there are stories of redemption, courage, and forgiveness. But they have little time to celebrate those little victories. The street is calling. But, maybe someday….

Overall Rating: Five Out of Five Stars

Today at the Plaza Frontenac Theatre in St. Louis co-producer Zak Piper will appear with Cobe Williams and CeaseFire national trainer Marcus McAllister for a Q and A after the 3:40 and 6:30 PM shows. On Saturday September 10 McAllister will join East St. Louis CeaseFire group members Chris Smith, Kyle Blackmon, and Renard Eastern for Q and A’s following the 3:40 and 6:30 PM shows.

WARRIOR is the iconic “Rocky” film of the MMA generation, brutal, beautiful and emotionally extraordinary. For the scarce handful of those unfamiliar with the rapidly rising new sport, MMA is mixed martial arts, the next level of skilled combat athletics, combining any and all forms of hand-to-hand fighting styles. Yes, the film contains violence. How else do you tell a story so crucially centered on what will ultimately replace boxing, without depicting it as realistically as possible? The violence of the competition is exhilarating, but serves as a welcome and climactic payoff for the brutally honest, often gut-wrenching human drama that unfolds as the soul of the film.

The story follows two brothers, Tommy (Tom Hardy) and Brandon (Joel Edgerton), both of whom have histories as trained fighters. Tommy was an undefeated high school wrestling marvel who wound up a Marine himself, trained by their father Paddy (Nick Nolte), a Marine veteran with a violent, drunken past. Brandon also caught the wrestling bug, but followed through to become a mediocre UFC success as a professional fighter, before retiring and becoming a high school physics teacher, married with two girls. Both Tommy and Brandon, as we discover entirely separate of each other, have one thing in common, a deep-seeded and passionate anger toward their estranged father Paddy, now sober, now desperately struggles for nothing more than to somehow reconnect with his boys. This right here, more than anything else in the film, this relationship and how it plays out, is what sets WARRIOR apart from similar films.

Writer and director Gavin O’Connor has created his best work of cinema since 2004’s MIRACLE, and I believe surpasses the beloved and inspiring hockey film. The film as a whole is powerful and magnetic, grabbing hold of the viewer’s very spirit and never letting go. The way in which O’Connor isolates the two brothers’ stories builds suspense and empathy for both characters equally, creating not one, but two heroes for us to encourage and follow. Tommy and Brandon need no external antagonist, as they serve that role for themselves, fighting inner demons, both past and present. O’Connor takes the camera in close, maintaining an intimate relationship between the characters and the viewer. This intimacy is especially strong during the moments when Paddy attempts to make amends with his boys, showcasing the incredible trinity of masterful performances from these three actors.

Nick Nolte (AFFLICTION, OFF THE BLACK), no stranger to the bottle himself, is brilliant on screen, selling his character with such a flawless certainty that translated into moments when I literally forgot I was watching a movie, and not a real human being experiencing such tragically exhausting personal conflict. Equally mesmerizing was Tom Hardy (BRONSON, INCEPTION) as Tommy, filled with a quiet rage that seethes from his very aura. Hardy is a hulking, brooding menace, confined within his own self-pity, waiting for the perfect moment to unleash his emotions in a mushroom cloud of pent-up anger toward his father. Opposite of Tommy, is Joel Edgerton (THE SQUARE, ANIMAL KINGDOM) as Brandon, an externally calm and peaceful family man, hiding the traumatic influence his father has had on his life.

WARRIOR is compelling, drawing as much on the viewer’s capacity to summon compassion for a fictional character as it draws on the adrenaline glands to heighten the thrill of the experience, succeeding at both. While the fights themselves are clearly not accurate to the reality of how the majority of MMA fights play out, the fight choreography itself is stellar. Hardy and Edgerton have clearly done their homework, convincing me to never piss either one of them off in real life. What WARRIOR does is to reduce the vastly diverse world of MMA down into a carefully constructed collage of the key elements of the fighting arts, showcasing the essence of MMA as a fine chef would rely on reduction to create a quality red wine sauce. What we see in WARRIOR are the most flavorful bits of MMA, reduced down to a perfectly executed dish. With that said, you would rarely ever see the shear quantity of perfectly executed moves on display in a single event as are seen in the film, but that’s what we expect to see. O’Connor delivers!

Rounding out the film are substantially effective performances from the supporting cast, including a stand out role for Jennifer Morrison (HOUSE M.D.) as Brandon’s wife and Kevin Dunn (TRANSFORMERS) in a small but welcome, humorous role as the high school principal. Making a cameo appearance is the Olympic-turned-professional wrestler Kurt Angle as Koba, the massive and intimidating Russian fighter that all other fighters fear. The director himself even supplies his own extended cameo as J.J. Riley, the wealthy Wall Street tycoon that bank rolls the Sparta MMA competition that Tommy and Brandon both endeavor to champion.

With a film done so well, I would be remiss if I were not completely honest and point out the one flaw in WARRIOR, being a montage constructed of multiple training shots floating simultaneously across the screen, intended as a creative juxtaposition of Tommy and Brandon’s paths merging. The result became the only moment I ever found myself pulled from the story, but is minor enough to be overlooked.

Where ROCKY fails to deliver any realism in the fights, WARRIOR succeeds. Where CINDERELLA MAN set the bar for emotional attachment of the audience to the hero has been raised, triumphantly. What THE FIGHTER managed to achieve as a lasting impression on the viewer has been overshadowed by WARRIOR, which I believe is one of the best films of 2011 and most certainly should reward both the seasoned Nick Nolte and the relatively new and rising star Tom Hardy with Oscar nominations, perhaps sadly leaving Edgerton ever so slightly under-appreciated for his equally stunning performance.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars