Well, just a week after THE AVENGERS broke box office records here’s another big team-up movie. Instead of super-heroes teaming up, this film showcases a great group of British actors of, uh….a certain age. When these vets get a great script the results can be just as engaging as any CGI-enhanced mayhem. Actually I was reminded a bit of the original COCOON. Of course there’s no glowing E.T.s, but these mature folks do encounter people of a somewhat alien culture, and their lives are changed radically ( no magic breakdancing, though ). Let’s take a cinematic getaway with some familiar film friends and check into THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL ( for the elderly and beautiful ).

In the first scenes of John ( SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE ) Madden’s new work we met the Brits who’ll be sharing a long journey and become the residents of the mentioned hotel. Evelyn ( Judi Dench ) is a recent widow whose late husband hid their true financial worth from her. Graham ( Tom Wilkinson ) is a judge who’s tired of the legal world, ready to retire and return to the site of his happier youth. Muriel ( Maggie Smith ) is a cranky, xenophobic former housekeeper who must travel abroad for a needed surgery. Douglas ( Bill Nighy )is a recent government retiree who must find a cheaper place to settle after a poor investment, much to the chagrin of his frustrated wife Jean ( Penelope Wilton ). Two of the travelers are on the prowl for new partners : the randy Norman ( Ronald Pickup ) and the upwardly mobile Madge ( Celia Imrie ). After viewing the hotel’s website and gorgeous brochures, this group make the long trek to India. At the end of the arduous trip, they arrive at a ramshackle structure that does not resemble the lush photos. The enthusiastic young owner Sonny ( Dev Patel ) assures them that everything will be finished soon. He’s inherited the place from his late father and is determined to restore it to its former glory ( and then be able to marry his beautiful girlfriend ). Over the next few weeks, while settling in, the residents explore the city and attempt to start a new life in their exotic surroundings.

Madden does a terrific job of moving the story along and showing us this colorful land, but it’s the cast that makes this trip come alive. The always delightful Dench glows as a woman who, after being taken care of most of her adult life, blossoms when she takes a chance in the bustling city. Wilkinson delivers another strong, engaging performance as a man regaining his joy for life while revisiting the locale where he was most happy as a youth. Fans of TV’s ” Downtown Abbey ” will relish seeing Smith as the surly, cynical wheelchair-bound woman who finally allows a bit of sunlight to break though her tough, hard shell. Nighy’s terrific as a man determined to find adventure and fun despite his wife’s pessimistic attitude. His zest for this new place is contagious. Imrie and Pickup both generate big laughs while they’re looking for love ( or a nice romp in the boudoir ) in this unfamiliar place. Patel brings a lot of energy to the young manager’s role ( sometimes too much energy ) and is often exhausting, but his character finally mellows out. This film shows that life and adventure is not over once you reach those golden years, that retirement may be more of a beginning. This message and this cast helps make THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, a most pleasurable film vacation destination.

Overall rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

Oscar Svendsen (Kyrre Hellum) wakes up in a seedy strip club, underneath the body of a dead oversized stripper, and surrounded by cops. What follows is the story of how he got there told mostly through flashbacks while being investigated by a very thorough and incredibly compelling detective (Henrik Mestad). This is a tale of lottery, greed, corruption and fake recycled Christmas trees.

JACKPOT is bloody good fun, pure and simple. It is a pitch black Norwegian comedy that tosses around clever dialogue and dead bodies with glee. The structure is similar to films like THE USUAL SUSPECTS and there are familiar elements throughout, although it all still feels fresh and fun. Jo Nesbo’s writing is sharp and each character is a good mix of quirky and dangerous. Director Magnus Martens handles the material quite well and strikes a good balance of comedy, blood splatter and intrigue. There are some really great visual gags including some set up early that lead to fine payoffs later on. I’d rather not spoil any of them but my favorite is on display at the very end of the trailer below if you are curious. Personally, I suggest only watching the trailer up to the title card if even that far.

If this sounds at all like a film you want to see, I highly recommend seeking it out rather than wait for the (most likely) inferior American remake, which is always a strong possibility with films like this.

Jerry Cavallaro – @GetStuck – JerryCavallaro.com

Can it really have been 11 years ago that Audrey Tautou stole hearts as the title character in AMELIE? Seems her performance as that whimsical Parisian sprite captured the world’s heart. Since then she’s starred in several other French films and took a leap into an American blockbuster, THE DA VINCI CODE. Well she’s matured along with her fans and nows stars in a more adult, reality-grounded love story, DELICACY. Even though she’s got a grown-up job and love life, does she still have a bit of that daydreaming pixie in her?

As the film begins Nathalie ( Tautou ) glides through the quaint Parisian streets to a small cafe. A handsome young man spots her and is smitten. A year later he proposes, and soon they’re married and sharing a lovely apartment. She steps up professionally, leaving her job selling theatre programs with her best pal  to work at a the Paris office of a Swedish investment firm. Life’s a dream until tragedy strikes.  In order to deal with her loss,Nathalie plunges into her new position at work. Her womanizing boss tries to make her his mistress, but she flatly rejects him. Then one day her co-worker, the unassuming Markus ( Francois Damiens ) steps into her office to discuss a project. Unspeaking, Nathalie rises from her desk, walks over to him, and kisses Markus passionately. She then asks him to leave the office. The man is floating on a cloud. When he asks her about it the next day, she feigns ignorance, then apologizes. But Markus believes a connection is there and decides to pursue a relationship with her. Can the lonely Swede succeed despite office gossips, a rejected superior, and her unimpressed friends? More importantly, can Nathalie finally have a life outside the office once again?

This is a sweet, gentle, low-key story of second-chance romance that’s difficult to embrace because of the confusing motivations of the main characters. Nathalie’s lip-lock with Markus surprises us almost as much as him. They only conversed about work projects prior to this. Did she just decide that it was time to be with someone once more? Was she just instinctively drawn to his good soul? Who knows?  I mean Markus is a kind-hearted fellow, but this sudden turnabout after shutting down her lothario boss is jarring. Her co-workers and friends are puzzled too. When Markus joins Nathalie at a party thrown by her best gal pal, the hostess dismisses him with a not-so-subtle remark ( shades of the recent US comedy SHE’S OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE ). Tautou and Damiens do the best they can with these underwritten characters, but the romance never really clicks.  Not a terrible film, just not involving. Despite the lovely French settings, this delicate love story never really takes flight.

Overall Rating: 2.5 Out of 5 Stars

Sometimes the film going experience is greatly enhanced when you have little knowledge of the movie upon entering the theatre. Such was the case for the new film THE HUNTER. All I had seen was the poster which showed a grim, determined Willem Dafoe toting a high-powered rifle. Since he’s frequently been cast in villain roles ( he’s the Green Goblin for gosh sakes! ), I thought that perhaps he’s playing an assassin or hitman tracking his victim through the countryside. On the flip side, he may be a bounty hunter or lawman trying to bring in a fugitive from justice. Whichever it was, I was all set for a cat-and-mouse action thriller.

For the first few minutes it looks like we’re in for a classy hitman actioner ( like THE MECHANIC ). After we’re introduced to Martin David ( Dafoe ) soaking in the tub, listening to classical music in a swanky Paris hotel, the film cuts to the airport where he meets with a couple of well-dressed gentlemen. They discuss the transfer of currency to foreign bank accounts. Hmmmm, who’s the target? Martin is given a briefcase with small test tubes and lab sample plates. Uh? The wealthy employer has hired him, not to track down an enemy, but to find an animal thought to be extinct : the Tasmanian tiger. The tiger doesn’t need to be captured alive, the employer only wants blood, skin, and fur samples ( perhaps for cloning purposes? ). So Martin is literally a professional hunter. Arriving in Tasmania, he is greeted by another agent of his employer, Jack ( Sam Neill ), who helps guide Martin to the forested spot were the tiger was supposedly last sighted. Jack also has arranged a place for Martin to stay : the home of Lucy Armstrong ( Frances O’Connor ) and her two precocious, foul-mouthed, grade-school aged kids. Seems Mr. Armstrong disappeared in the forest while searching for the tiger. She’s literally checked out, spending her days heavily medicated drifting in and out of slumber and letting her kids fend for themselves. After tidying up his living quarters, Martin begins his task. The people of the town are leery of him. The loggers, who’ve been prevented from working, believe that he’s an undercover Greenpeace-type agent. But the other side distrusts him too. The local tree-hugging eco-warriors believe that he’s using traps to capture the tiger. No one seems to believe his cover story of being a research scientist collecting data for a new book. Can he stay several steps ahead of these warring factions and locate his elusive prey?

THE HUNTER is a great showcase for the talents of one of our most interesting actors. Here Dafoe gets to go beyond the sometimes one-note baddies in Hollywood blockbusters He begins the film as a cool professional who’s only looking to complete his job and collect his fee. But things change once he arrives in that wild land and meets this broken family. Martin starts to care about something beyond his mission, although Dafoe is terrific in the scenes showcasing his tracking and trapping skills. O’Connor is touching as the absentee single mother who finally wakes up and responds to the unusual foreign man in her life. O’Neill offers great support as her family friend who may have other motives. The search for a rare animal is a unique motive for all the principals ( it’s interesting that this weekend’s big family film THE PIRATES : BAND OF MISFITS also tackles the subject of beasties thought to be extinct ). The suspense builds slowly while not taking away from the unfolding relationship story. The cinematography of this still untamed country is breathtaking at times. Some of the accents are often too thick to decipher, but your ears should become accustomed quickly. Because of the gorgeous unexplored countryside, and the very talented cast, THE HUNTER is a film worth tracking down.

Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars Out of 5

THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH was the first major Hollywood film to address the wandering eye ( and libido ) of long time, staid husbands. The subject was explored in greater depth in the 60′s with the anthology A GUIDE FOR THE MARRIED MAN and in the 80′s with THE WOMAN IN RED ( except Gene Wilder just fixated on Kelly LeBrock as the title character ). As it turns out RED is based on a European film where the rules of marriage are quite a bit looser than in the good ole’ USA. And they’ve been doing many more films across the pond about hubbys gettin’ frisky over the years. For the new film THE SALT OF LIFE, we get a chance to see Italy’s take on love and marriage ( and a little something on the side ).

SALT tells the story of Gianni ( writer/ director Gianni Di Gregorio ), a schlubby sixty-something married father who’s sure that he’s missing out on all the action. He’s retired, collecting a pension, and sharing a spacious apartment in Rome with his still working wife, college age daughter, and her boyfriend ( who seems to always be staying over ). After fixing breakfast for his wife, Gianni spends much of his day dashing to the home of his frail, aging momma. But , prodded by his lawyer buddy Alfonso, Gianni’s on a quest to score. His mamma’s luscious live-in nurse is a possibility. How about his downstairs neighbor, a party girl with an enormous St, Bernard ( Gianni takes the beast for long walks in the park ) ? But then there’s the overly friendly, now grown-up daughter of one of his mamma’s poker pals. Maybe he should rekindle the passion with an old flame from years past. At one point, Alfonso enlists Gianni as his ‘ wing man ‘ when two blonde bombshell sisters arrive at his office. Later Alfonso gives Gianni a male performance pill along with confusing directions to a brothel ( can he arrives before the effects wear off? ). After his many calamities, will he ever succeed?

This is a gentle character study that has a timeless quality. It’s not gut-busting hilarious, but Gianni’s hapless attempts should make you smile ( or perhaps wince in recognition ). It’s hard to stay angry at him for his wanderlust due to the sprightly performance of Di Gregorio. He gets terrific support from the actors playing his friends and family and particularly the bevy of beautiful actresses that cross his path. The cast along with the beautiful Rome location work makes THE SALT OF LIFE a slighty spicy look at a retiree who’s still a kid ( maybe a horny teenager ) at heart.

Overall Rating: 3.5 Out of 5 Stars

A young boy who longs to be reunited with the father who abandoned him falls in with the wrong element in THE KID WITH A BIKE a new French-language drama from Belgian writer/director brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. The new film has their trademark style using available light and a handheld camera seems to simply observe events as they unfold, as if the film makers have just happen to have stopped to film what’s going on. It’s a candid tone sorely missed in Hollywood’s noisy style of movies but the story lacks interest and on balance, THE KID WITH A BIKE is a snooze

THE KID WITH A BIKE opens with 11-year-old Cyril living at a state-run orphanage, trying to understand what happened to his father, who disappeared from his life without saying goodbye. Cyril figures his dad, no matter how much a deadbeat, wouldn’t have left voluntarily because he at least would have given his son the lad’s bike, which is missing. After a repetitive series of scenes in which Cyril desperately searches for his father, he finally learns that he sold the bike, which is bought back for him by Samantha, a kindly hairdresser (Cécile de France) who wants to be Cyril’s proxy parent. Meanwhile, Cyril falls in with a neighborhood thug who acts as a surrogate father figure and convinces the boy to commit a violent crime for his approval.

THE KID WITH A BIKE is a mildly effective, Dickensian look at a youth in crisis and has something to say about the innocence of children and their capacity for good in the corrupting world of adults. There’s nothing terribly wrong with it, and you’d have to be a coldhearted cynic not to be moved by Cyril’s dilemma, but THE KID WITH A BIKE is bland and inoffensive to the point of offensiveness. The plot progress is steady but there’s little interest in probing characterization. It crawls along at an endless-seeming 87 minutes and is paced in a way that I found myself asking questions. Why is this kid was so obsessed with finding a dad who obviously wants nothing to do with him? Why is this attractive woman so determined to embrace Cyril, who’s a little brat, to her, at least in their initial meeting? When is something interesting going to happen? The movie does have moments of drama, such as a scene where Cyril is clinging to Samantha’s legs in a doctor’s waiting room, but between those moments lay huge blank, boring segments. The performances are likeable, especially Ms de France (so good in last year’s NISRENE) as a woman who seems to embody goodness in a situation where it’s most needed. Thomas Doret plays Cyril in a manner critics love to describe as “naturalistic”, which is a polite way to describe him as blank and unemotive. To me the kid exuded an air of disinterested boredom which is how I felt while watching him. I’m not normally an impatient moviegoer – I enjoy a well-told story that slowly builds to an interesting, thought-provoking, or moving conclusion, but THE KID WITH A BIKE simply never delivered.

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

THE KID WITH A BIKE opens in St. Louis today at Landmark’s Tivoli Theater

Once more, an incredible film emerges from an once unlikely corner of the world, to many a place virtually unknown to Americans. This time, its Indonesia and the film is THE RAID: REDEMPTION. Do you think you know action? No, not Schwarzenegger and Stallone, but true badass, butt-kicking, jaw-dropping action that sticks to your ribs like so many seen brutally busted? If so, then this is one film you had better not miss… or else!

THE RAID: REDEMPTION — from here out referred to simply as THE RAID — is written and directed by Gareth Evans. You may be wondering why or how a film from Indonesia is made by a guy who certainly doesn’t sound Indonesian, but really… who cares?!?! [From what I gather, Evans is Welsh-born and a cinephile uniquely obsessed with Eastern culture. I'm down with that.] Evans clearly has a firm grasp on the culture, the setting and the hardships of the Indonesian people. The film takes place in a crumbling, urban setting, primarily a towering housing complex/fortress controlled by the local drug and crime boss who rules with a heavy hand, blatantly providing safe haven for all the worst type of subhuman beings — for a price — mocking the authorities who fear to enter his domain, as many have tried and failed.

Reluctant but loyal to his duty and eager to do his part in ending the reign of criminal terror, this is where our hero Rama (Iko Uwais) enters the story. Rama is a young, but lethal soldier for justice, a husband and soon-to-be father with a glimmer of giving his unborn child a better future twinkling in his eye. This will ultimately be what drives Rama through the pain as he takes on the highrise from hell. What Evans does that I appreciate is to introduce our hero in a way we’re not normally accustomed to seeing, a montage cutting between shots of Rama training in solitude and shots of Rama praying in solitude as well. He’s a complete man, father and husband, at peace and clear-headed… making him dangerously focused and powerful.

THE RAID spends a little time up front introducing the characters on both sides, a little time setting up the premise for what is about to take place on screen, then quickly throws the audience right into the police raid which rapidly unravels into chaos and bloodshed, a vertical monsoon of bullets followed by a barrage of unbelievable feet and fists that will have you on the edge of your seat. The fight choreography in THE RAID is superb, and without the (apparent) use of wires, this is a feature film showcasing a whole new cast of awe-inspiring martial artists. At first, hot lead is everywhere, followed by cold steel and hardened fists when the bullets run out. This is when the fun really begins and the pain takes hold.

The story, while simple and direct, has a team of SWAT-like police infiltrating the corrupted high rise with the implied intent of ridding it of the criminal cockroaches plaguing their city. What eventually reveals itself is a twist at the end, one I will not divulge, but will elude to it being a fairly formulaic but effective plot tool which takes a backseat to the great portion and focus of the film, which is the magnificent fight choreography, conceived by Yayan Ruhian (remember this name) and Iko Uwais himself. Truly amazing stuff on display here guys, and gals. THE RAID features more moments of phantom pain amidst the audience than I can recall in so many years. I found myself on multiple occasions reacting with an “Oooh, ow!” or flinching or briefly turning away, then morbidly looking back for more. Busted heads, broken backs, faces, ribs, necks, limbs… it’s all demolished on both sides of this epic conflict with fantastic, painful realism. I do love Jackie Chan, but these guys make his real-life stunts and fight choreography look tame in comparison.

Remember that guy whose name I said to remember? In addition to co-choreographing THE RAID, Yayan Ruhian also plays Mad Dog, the crime boss’ enforcer, opposite his right hand man, who has a secret of his own to be discovered when you see this film. Mad Dog is the little psycho killer who could, and seemingly NEVER FREAKING DIES! This short, long-haired little mutt’s bite is way, way way worse than his relatively quiet bark. It’s rare that I find myself actually rooting in a way for the bad guy, but Mad Dog in a monster in a small package. He does more damage to this crew of tactical enforcers of good than Godzilla has down to Tokyo. Pain is his middle name and he prefers fists and feet to guns, as he explains before utterly annihilating Rama’s #2 guy Jaka (Joe Taslim), but not without a lengthy and spectacular fight to the death.

THE RAID only has one, relatively minor flaw, hence receiving 4.5 rather than 5 stars. The film is light on depth of plot and back-story, but not so much that it detracts from the overall enjoyment of the film. Hey, sometimes you just want to be entertained by extraordinary, excessive violence, right? Otherwise, why would mixed martial arts be so popular? Speaking of which, imagine the best MMA fighters being thrown together into a massive multi-level royal rumble a la Donkey Kong and you still wouldn’t have the level of awesomeness available to you in THE RAID: REDEMPTION. ‘Nuff said!

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

THE RAID: REDEMPTION opens today, April 13th, in Saint Louis at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre.

A movie from Israel about the politics of academia set against a backdrop of Talmudic studies might not sound like a fun time at the movies but FOOTNOTE is far from the dry, scholarly tome the premise suggests. It’s actually a low-key comedy about the desire for recognition directed with a great deal of style by Israeli-born, New York-educated Joseph Cedar who won the best screenplay award at Cannes for his clever script. Israel’s entry in this past year’s Academy Awards begins with an extended close-up of older man listening to a speech by his son, a producer of popular books on Jewish culture who’s being honored for academic accomplishments. This shot goes on for several minutes and, though the speaker is acknowledging his legacy, the old man is clearly not happy and the movie sets about telling us why. Eliezer Shkolnik (played by Shlomo Bar Aba ) and his son Uriel (Lior Ashkenazi), are both professors in the Talmudic studies department at the prestigious Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Eliezer is a bitter man who’s dedicated his life to discovering obscure discrepancies in various forms of the Talmud. Not only do few care about his arcane research but he’s seen his theories published by other writers before he has the chance to claim them as his own. Unlike his son, Eliezer is a stubborn traditionalist who rejects new theories and is doomed to obscurity by his colleagues who deny him any recognition beyond the one footnote he once received in the book of a revered scholar. By adopting the changes his father hates, Uriel is popular with his students and his peers. Things improve for Eliezer when he hears that he’s finally going to be given, after twenty years of unrewarded consideration, the prestigious Israel Prize. But there’s some confusion. Is it really Eliezer who’s received the prize or was it meant to go to his son? Uriel knows that if his father discovers the truth, it would absolutely devastate him but as he researches his father’s life in order to write notes for the award, he finds less and less to admire in the old man.

An intelligent comedy that ridicules the ivory towers of academia, the strength of FOOTNOTE is that it works on numerous levels – especially in the way it approaches Eliezer’s complexity as an individual. Is he overrated, deserving of just being a literal footnote of those who achieved true greatness in their field, or has he been unfairly treated by his fellow scholars? Cedar’s filmmaking style is bouncy but overdone, constantly fussed-up with inter-titles, voiceovers, cutesy graphics, and a bombastic musical score. It’s as if he’s trying to overcompensate for what may be perceived as too dry a subject but it’s the comedy aspect of FOOTNOTE that is the most enjoyable. The envy and pettiness among Jews behaving badly is sharply satirized in awkwardly sized rooms, especially in the film’s best sequence when Uriel is trying to convince the group of old scholars squeezed into a closet-sized room to give the award to his father, a scene that gets more humorous and uncomfortable as it plays out. Elizer constantly wears a giant headset, shutting everything around him down just to get some peace, and for the old scholars roles, Cedar casts actors who look just like stereotypical Jewish professors. Both Eliezer and Uriel are comically obsessed with the notion that success can only be found in one’s achievements, that recognition from peers is somehow proof that someone is better at something than everyone else. FOOTNOTE is unique and recommended.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

FOOTNOTE opens today, April 13th in St. Louis at Landmark Theater’s Plaza Frontenac Theater

IN DARKNESS was one of the recent Best Foreign Film nominees at the Academy Awards ( Iran took home Oscar for A SEPERATION ). It tells another tale of European Jews being helped to evade the forces of Nazi Germany, a story related in previous films like THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK to SCHINDLER’S LIST.  DARKNESS proves to be a worthy addition to these dramas. It’s no dry history lesson, but an involving, suspenseful thriller that has as many nail-biting moments as the last three or four big-budget action extravaganzas. You’ll leave the theatre having learned something and perhaps feeling invigorated. When you think about what these folks had to go through, the air outside the exit doors may smell just a little sweeter than when you went in.

The main focus of the story is Leopold Socha, a sewer worker in Lvov ( former Poland ). He and his co-worker are trying to make ends meet and not incur the ire of the occupying German forces during the early 1940′s. Socha even robs the homes of Jews who have been re-located to camps ( they’re interrupted during their haul in an early scene ). Making his rounds he discovers that some Jewish families have built trap-doors in their apartments that allow them to drop down below the buildings and hide from the soldiers who would load them up in trucks. Sosha sees a way to take advantage of their plight ( and bring a bit more home to his beleaguered missus ). He’ll escort them down into the sewers under the streets and take them to a small spot that few others know about . And he’ll bring them food until the soldiers have left the city. He’ll do all that for a nominal weekly fee ( not counting the initial entrance spots that he collects before the trip down below ). The refugees have little choice, but to put their faith ( and funds ) in the hands of the mercenary city worker. Days drag into weeks, then into months. Socha tries to stay several steps ahead of the authorities ( who’ve heard rumors of people hiding away down there) while his charges try to hold on to their sanity as they live out their mole-like existence with no apparent relief in sight.

The film’s greatest strength is the humanity of all the characters in this unbelievable, but very true story. The refugees are not stoic, noble heroes, but real people with all their faults and foibles. One man carries on an affair with a woman while his wife and child sleep nearby ( or so he believes ). The sewer-dwellers bicker about their class standings and education (  the college professor is constantly on the defense ). On the other side, one of Socha’s old pals has fallen in with the occupiers and tries to get his old buddy to help him track down unwanteds. As for the other townspeople, many decry and bemoan the treatment of their Jewish neighbors, while others grumble, ” Good riddance. About time. ” ( the Nazis get to act on these citizen’s jealousy and hatred ). Of course, the character with the greatest arc is Socha. Originally there to make a few quick bucks off them, after a few shouting matches ( they just don’t appreciate him! ), he becomes sympathetic and even parental towards his hideaways ( like Schindler, he calls the ” my Jews ” ). Kudos to the film makers for not over-emphasizing the filth of the sewers ( no ” Smell-a-Vision “, thank heaven. They also crank up the tension when the small group expands and later when a deadly flash flood strikes ( the flooding tunnel has been used since the early silents, but this sequence adds another layer of thrills as the refugees try to keep out of sight ). This is an incredibly well-made motion picture that helps shed a well-deserved spotlight on a greedy little con-man who opened his heart and became a great historical hero in spite of himself.

Overall Rating: 4.5 Out of 5 Stars

In many ways, Takeshi Kitano is perhaps as close to a one man machine as you will find in the filmmaking business. As is generally the case with most of his films, Kitano wrote, edited directed and starred in his latest film to hit the United States called OUTRAGE (2010). Once again, Kitano delves into a story centered on the Yakuza life. As is often, but not always the case, OUTRAGE contains more than a fair share of violence bordering on gratuitous, but relevant given Kitano’s ideology of showing the Yakuza in the extreme light and ironic nature that he often does with his storytelling.

Kitano, credited under the fitting pseudonym of “Beat” Takeshi, plays Otomo, an experienced Yakuza enforcer with an implied history as a boxer. The boss of the head family, known as Mr. Chairman, orders his lieutenant to crack down on the drug trafficking being perpetrated by a lesser branch of the Yakuza gone rogue. The complications quickly arise when Mr. Chairman reveals himself as a ruthless, backstabbing boss that has strayed from the old ways and code of the Yakuza. As they say, the “shit flows downhill” and Otomo ends up being at the bottom where he discovers his years of loyalty have meant nothing.

For the first third to half of OUTRAGE, the plot feels somewhat slow and messy, twisted and fragmented, but be patient and follow along as best you can, as it all comes together in the end. In some respects, this is a typical revenge story, but told in a very atypical fashion. Kitano’s chopping editing and fragmenting of the story serves to accentuate the manufactured chaos being designed by Mr. Chairman, paying off with a multi-faceted string of plot twists in the end.

“Beat” Takeshi is always a joy to watch play a badass. His common tendency is to wash emotion and expression fro his character’s face, resulting in an oddly serene but serious persona that could, in an instant, snap and do some serious damage to the person confronting him. As a filmmaker, Kitano is extraordinarily adept at visualizing his stories through the camera. Composition of frame is one of the key elements that continually draw me to Kitano’s films, meticulously constructing frames of beauty out of the simplest setting, like the art of Zen gardening with shrubs and stones.

One of the most fascinating examples of Kitano’s eye for the camera in OUTRAGE is a shot taken from a high angle over a long stretch of two-lane road. This stretch of road follows the coastline and travels into the distance, disappearing into the top edge of the frame, playing on the horizon perspective, while the angle itself offers a tremendous visual dynamic to an otherwise drab setting. This shot follows one of the most brutal, albeit creative, Yakuza kill scenes, and lingers for a moment.

OUTRAGE is not amongst the best of Kitano’s undertakings, but is certainly worth seeing. One may think his continued source of inspiration in the Yakuza would get dry and overused, but surprisingly, it does not. One element that adds to my enjoyment of OUTRAGE is the uncharacteristically electronic score from Keiichi Suzuki, giving the film a fresh edge. In the end, OUTRAGE is a superficially complex tale of criminal bosses in a power struggle with each other, riddled with deception and hair-trigger violence, but levels out to reveal itself as an ironic twist of fate with a melancholy ending.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

OUTRAGE opens today in St. Louis at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre.

Pedro Alodovar, Spanish director of such delirious concoctions as TIE ME UP TIE ME DOWN and VOLVER has made his first overt horror film and THE SKIN I LIVE IN is a doozy. It’s an atmospheric, stylized, and deeply disturbing portrait of obsession, death, and the quest for perfection. Antonio Banderas, who began his career with Almodovar and is reunited with the director for the first time in two decades, stars as Dr Robert Lesgard, a reclusive, Frankenstein-like plastic surgeon attempting to achieve a breakthrough in bio-medical sciences by creating a synthetic skin through a process he calls transgenisis. His experiments come at a steep cost. His human test subject is a beautiful woman named Vera (Elena Anaya) who is held prisoner within his home, and cared for by his longtime servant Marilia (Almodovar regular Marisa Paredes). Vera is unlike other women, she wears a skin-colored fabric suit instead of clothes, is constantly observed by Robert and Marilia, and never leaves her room, which only Robert himself holds the key to. That’s the setup of THE SKIN I LIVE IN and I don’t want to go into too many plot details as this is the kind of story best to just let unfold, a story involving murder, rape, suicide, and a gender-bending twist that packs a huge punch whether you see it coming or not.

Pedro Almodovar has brought his distinct visual panache to THE SKIN I LIVE IN and it’s striking how well-suited his style is for horror. The bright colors, immaculate sets, attractive people in bizarre, over-the-top situations, odd relationships, and the violence resemble a campier version of the works of popular Italian horror filmmakers such as Dario Argento. The story is intriguing enough to keep you on the edge of your seat, with some wacky plot turns that only Almodovar can come up with. There’s much to admire here. I enjoyed the way Almodovar filmed a murder scene with the camera looking down from the ceiling, the close-ups of Vera’s feet wriggling in her skin-tight stockings, and a despicable character who appears wearing a tiger costume for no reason. Almodovar brings to this grim story a wry humor at times, helped along by Alberto Iglesias’ wonderfully bouncy and off-kilter score. But the tone here is mostly a quiet creep of alienation, as Vera, possibly driven insane by her trauma, wanders about in her blank body suit and comes to grips with her quite understandable dilemma over the doctor’s methods. THE SKIN I LIVE IN is a sexy and twisted horror film from Spain’s most flamboyant filmmaker, and is highly recommended.

4 1/2 of 5 Stars

THE SKIN I LIVE IN opens today, November 23rd, at Landmark’s Tivoli Theater

What if you met a real life fairy? How would you know? What would you do? American audiences had a similar proposition presented through cinema in 1984’s SPLASH, replacing a fairy with a mermaid, with whom Tom Hanks fell deeply in love with. The 2011 French film LA FEE (The Fairy) is also a romantic fantasy, co-written and co-directed by Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon and Bruno Romy.

THE FAIRY is about a man named Dom, played by Dominique Abel. He works as the front desk clerk in a small hotel. He’s friendly, quiet, and perhaps more than a little naïve. In the beginning of the film, Dom is hoping to settle down for the evening with some television and a sandwich. Unfortunately, business chooses otherwise.

After first handling an odd customer and his scurrying bag, Dom meets Fiona, played by Fiona Gordon. Fiona is a spritely woman. This is fitting, as the first words from her mouth include “I am a fairy.” What should one say to such a claim? Dom takes this in stride, as he does with everything in life. Fiona rents a room, and thus begins their adventure.

THE FAIRY is a cute — almost excessively so — little number that’s part romantic comedy, part musical, part slapstick and part Charlie Chaplin. Dom and Fiona are very animated characters in a very animated live-action film. After saving Dom’s life from a near-fatal sandwich, Fiona offers Dom three wishes. He first wishes for a scooter, then follows up with a wish for free gas for life. Fiona gladly complies. For the remainder of the film, we await Dom’s third and final wish.

Dom and Fiona connect quickly. Fiona shows Dom a world he never knew existed, right there in his own community. Her free spirit opens his eyes, but the truth about Fiona is a mystery that remains uncertain throughout THE FAIRY. Is Fiona really a fairy, or simply an unstable citizen? I found myself less and less concerned with this question as I was drawn deeper into the quirky world of these two characters.

THE FAIRY is a lot of fun, but if it doesn’t appeal to you at first, give it time. It took me 15-20 of the film before I finally settled into the experience. I am not typically a fan of musicals, but the charming silliness of THE FAIRY is rather hard to resist. The musical numbers, which are really more dance pieces, as the characters don’t sing, are strange and eccentric, but in their own way alluring.

In keeping with the film’s central characters, THE FAIRY is a richly colorful film that feels like something from another era. I was repeatedly reminded of the 1964 classic THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG. THE FAIRY is clearly a low-budget film, or at least is meant to look that way, perhaps drawing inspiration for its production design from theatrical stage production. From green screen chases to swimming jellyfish made of plastic grocery bags, the whimsically simple design is a major factor in the film’s charm.

Whether you’re a pushover for French film, an admirer of the silent era of slapstick comedy, or just looking for a unique option for a date night movie, THE FAIRY is a romantic option like no other I’ve seen in quite a long time.

Showtime
Friday, November 18th at 4:30pm – Plaza Frontenac Cinema
Saturday, November 19th at 6:00pm – Plaza Frontenac Cinema

HEADHUNTERS was originally reviewed during Fantastic Fest 2011.

In true Norwegian fashion, HEADHUNTERS is a taught thriller that pleases from the first to the last frame. Director Morten Tyldum (FALLEN ANGELS) weaves an intoxicating mystery that begins as a heist film. Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie) is a man of short stature with a large house and a towering beauty of a Swedish trophy wife named Diana (Synnove Macody Lund), as intelligent as she is stunning. What she doesn’t know is that Roger is not everything he appears to be.

Roger spends his days working as a successful corporate recruiter, a fitting cover for a man whose greatest skill is “knowing” people, but he supplements his lavish lifestyle by moonlighting as a thief, specializing in valuable works of art. Everything Roger does is to please Diana, so when the opportunity of a lifetime reveals itself, he sees the job that will end all jobs, but it begins with getting his mark a job.

Clas Greve (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is an ex-military special ops soldier turned CEO of a major GPS nanotechnology developer. Recently having entered early retirement, Roger meets Clas at the opening reception for Diana’s gallery. Upon hearing about a priceless work of art that Clas possesses, Roger immediately begins developing a plan to relieve Clas of the artwork and set himself and Diana up for life, which Roger sees as the only way to truly secure his most prized possession. Unfortunately, despite Roger’s very careful and competent thieving skills and his attention to detail, what lies in store for him is far beyond his expectations and risk assessment.

HEAD HUNTERS is a methodical, calculated thriller that takes great care in setting up the dominoes in just the precise manner, intricately positioned for maximum fallout. Roger leads the audience through his every step, his motives and his methodology, seamlessly allowing the viewer into his life without disturbing the all-important third wall. It’s rare that we get to empathize with a criminal, but Roger’s motives are as honorable as they are selfish.

As is often the case with Norwegian films, especially of this genre, HEADHUNTERS is beautifully shot with a cold, post-modern sensibility. Roger’s house is a rigidly designed array of juxtaposed boxes that compliments the compartmentalized life he leads. Roger is calm, cool and in control while the supporting characters around him appear very much the opposite, from a seemingly desperate Lotte (Julie R. Olgaard) with whom Roger has an affair to the wild and reckless Ove (Eivind Sander), with whom Roger works on his moonlighting venture through a strategic partnership.

What we witness in HEADHUNTERS is the transformation of Roger from a well-disguised man living in fear to a strong and determined man born of the need to fight for survival. We witness Roger transform before our eyes, pushed to the extreme before he realizes what’s truly important and how vain and superficial his life has been prior to meeting Clas Greve.

Clas is a great antagonist, emotionless and precise, like a well-oiled machine with a clear purpose, but able to conceal himself in plain sight. I couldn’t help but notice a resemblance of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau to Josh Holloway from TV’s LOST, which I felt oddly added to the appeal of the character. Clearly this was unintentional, but every little bit helps. When it boils down to the essence of what makes HEADHUNTERS tick, it’s a lack of clearly defined good guys and bad guys. The story is ultimately a tale of misguided intentions and confusion in the face of well-laid plans. The tension between Roger and Clas is built upon a principle of two masters of their craft in a race to finish first, but the confusion arises from Roger reacting to misinformation and assuming a false conclusion.

HEADHUNTERS is a lot of fun, with some dark humor and brutal moments, all wrapped up into a true nail-biter. Aksel Hennie is excellent, showing an impressive range as his character is drug through the ringer on so many levels. I imagine HEADHUNTERS will surely be swallowed up by the Hollywood remake machine, if it hasn’t already, but the original is definitely worthy of your time.

One of the more rare genres of filmmaking is the cinema of absurdity, which can actually be defined in various ways. SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE (De repente, la pelicula) is an absurd comedy, written and directed by veteran Venezuelan filmmaker Luis Armando Roche. New to the genre, this is an experimental film for Roche, derived from a script written 25 years ago. This is a passion project by a filmmaker already well-established in his home country, a filmmaker who has already had films play international festivals such as his 1977 film THE MOVING PICTURE MAN, which played Cannes Film Festival.

SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE is by many definitions not a traditional film. It’s clear that Roche intended to break all the rules, a tactic perfectly acceptable by filmmaker’s with as much experience under their belt. As they say, “you must learn the rules before you can break them.”

I am not going to beat around the bush and get all fluffy by saying the film is perfect. By definition, it cannot be a perfect film because nearly the entire film is improvised. Yes, the entire film, not just the acting. Roche began with a script as his foundation, then took the improvisational concept we’ve seen so many times from Christopher Guest and crew (such as WAITING FOR GUFFMAN, or BEST IN SHOW) and applies it in full effect to a film about the horrors of filmmaking.

SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE follows a young filmmaker named John Loveland, played by Carlos Antonio Leon, who begins production on a film in the Amazon jungle, but when things don’t work out, returns to shoot on location in Caracas, Venezuela. What quickly becomes abundantly clear, is that the film’s shady producer, played by Roche himself, has no interest in spending any more money than is minimally necessary.

Production quickly breaks down into chaos, and crew members begin dropping like flies. As everything begins to fall apart, Loveland chooses to embrace the chaos and frustration of disaster and instead makes what can be an anti-movie, a film where every flaw, every mistake and setback is utilized as a way of making some artistic statement. What ensues is a series of slapstick mishaps and absurdist antics, from piñata props and beer drinking parrots to an unexpected homage to Bollywood. In fact, most of SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE is unexpected.

SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE is definitely a meta-movie, a film within a film, dually conscious of itself. While some of the humor may get lost in the cultural translation, much of it remains in tact for the American audience, producing laughter and even a welcome sense of awe inspired by the amazement of what is seen on screen.

If given the opportunity to experience this film, the best advice I can offer is to remember, everything from the acting to the structure, the story and even the technology behind the production are all improvised. For that reason alone, SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE should attract many a film buff as this off-the-cuff style of filmmaking is a rare cinematic experience.

We first meet Simon curled up inside a garbage can… pardon me, a “space ship.” Simon, played by Bill Skarsgard, has Asperger’s. This means he thinks differently from those around him. Simon has an affection for circles, a fascination with space, and a terrible time dealing with change in his life. Simon lives with his brother Sam, played by Martin Wollstrom, the only person who knows how to talk with Simon so he understand. Unfortunately, when Sam’s girlfriend can no longer take the eccentricities of living with Simon, she leaves, causing Sam to slip into a depression. This is when the fun starts.

Written by Jonathan Sjoberg and directed by Andreas Ohman, SIMPLE SIMON is not a traditional romantic comedy. The film has a similar cute absurdity as Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s AMELIE. The story takes us into the mind of Simon as he struggles to find a solution to his brother’s depression, and in turn his own newly acquired and unwelcome chaos in his daily schedule.

There is a charm to the routine of SIMPLE SIMON, each day has its schedule and each schedule has its structure. Simon relies on the predictability of this organization to maintain peace, but when things do go awry, he retreats to his “space ship.” During his daily walk to his job, at precisely the same time, he repeatedly runs into Frida, played by Sofia Hamilton. Literally, having physically collided with Frida, it sparks an unlikely friendship between the two polar opposite personalities, a friendship Simon is not even aware of as he quests to fins Sam a new girlfriend.

Hamilton is an adorable mess, a free spirit who enjoys the uncertainty of life. The odds of her and Simon getting along so well are astronomical, but she has a way about her that allows Simon to understand her like he understands Sam. Equations begin to formulate in Simon’s head as he develops his master plan. SIMPLE SIMON is visually playful and colorful. Ohman composes a sort of energetic geometry, combining order and chaos to illustrate Simon’s world and the real world, integrated into one reality.

SIMPLE SIMON was Sweden’s 2010 Oscar entry for best foreign language film.

Showtimes
Sunday, November 13th at 3:30pm – Plaza Frontenac Cinema
Tuesday, November 15th at 4:15pm – Plaza Frontenac Cinema

Inspirational sports films are a dime a dozen, with a notable few that stand out, such as MYSTERY ALASKA, but rarely does one rise to the surface as an exceptionally memorable experience for viewers. For the most part, there’s a standard formula by which these films follow, neither good nor bad, but it’s a formula that works so it rarely changes. This is an important concept to keep in mind while watching THE HAMMER.

Directed by Oren Kaplan, THE HAMMER (also known as HAMILL) follows this formula closely, handing in an accomplished but familiar inspirational sports story of a young man rising to become the best, in this case as a wrestler. There’s nothing shameful in this, as the goal of such a film is to inspire audiences after all. The difference in this case, is in the subject matter and a particular creative choice which I found subtle but extraordinarily pleasing in the way the story is told.

Russell Harvard (THERE WILL BE BLOOD) plays Matt Hamill, hearing impaired from birth, he struggles to find his place growing up as the only deaf child in a small rural town. Despite his mother’s desire for him to learn sign language and attend a special school, Matt’s grandfather Stanley resists, pushing Matt to rely on himself, be strong and not fall into the trap of feeling bad for himself. From this “tough love” approach, Matt eventually rises to his own potential and becomes one of the best college wrestlers.

As with many films of this nature, the obvious payoff at the end of the film is not the most rewarding. THE HAMMER is all about the journey, the ups and downs of Hamill’s life, which is dominated by downs. Harvard captures the intricacies of a young man struggling to become a success without the traditional tools given to a deaf child, such as sign language. This become one more obstacle that Matt must overcome, at first learning to read lips as not to rely on others, but eventually learns the value of letting others help after meeting a fellow deaf student named Kristi, played by Shoshannah Stern (Television’s JERICHO and WEEDS). Stern herself is deaf, but her performance is greater than just her situational authenticity.

Raymond J. Barry (LITTLE CHILDREN, Television’s JUSTIFIED) delivers a sturdy performance as Matt’s grandfather Stanley. He provides the rough, no frills essentials that I think of when I imagine this “cold and hard exterior, soft and gooey interior” type of character. Michael Anthony Spady plays Matt’s college roommate and best friend Jay, but the film truly revolves around Matt, his grandfather and Kristi, both of whom help Matt grow in their own ways.

Kaplan taps the heart string; he develops the relationships and emphasizes the difficult times, all elements that fit perfectly within the mold of an inspirational film. The one thing that stands out for me above all else, aside from the choice to cast deaf actors including Russell Harvard and Shoshannah Stern, is the way Kaplan handled key moments in Hamill’s personal growth, moments of significance that shape his character. These most crucial experiences are conveyed in silence, not a mechanical silence, but a living, organic silence that illustrates the world in which matt lives. The result is an increased sense of being in the moment and a heightening of the dramatic impact for the viewer.

THE HAMMER also employs subtitles in a creative way, illustrating Matt’s struggle with reading lips. These little touches are what allow THE HAMMER to stand out from the crowd as an above average inspirational film, despite what might often feel a bit like a Hallmark movie, but also happens to be based on a true story. Matt Hamill is a real person, which is ultimately the most inspirational aspect of such films. At the end of THE HAMMER, the audience is treated to the genre standard of meeting the real life character, but the film wouldn’t be complete without this opportunity.

Showtimes
Saturday, November 12th at 4:15pm – Tivoli Theatre

Ten years ago, director Danis Tanovic won nearly every major film award worldwide (including Golden Globe and Academy Awards) for his exceptional anti-war film NO MAN’S LAND. Using the Bosnian/Serbian conflict in Herzegovina as a backdrop, NO MAN’S LAND used tension, humor, satire, and excellent performances to set a new tone for war films. It has influenced nearly every war film since, most notably another Oscar-winner, THE HURT LOCKER

Now, in only his fourth feature film, Tanovic has returned to this incredibly tragic setting to tell another story with an anti-war theme. However, this one’s message is more oblique and unsettling, because it reminds us that war isn’t just about armies and politicians or beliefs and bureaucracies. It is also — maybe most importantly – about families.

Divko is a middle-aged man who has returned to his hometown after 20 years, and he has returned with gusto. He has money, influence, and a younger redheaded — and smoking hot — girlfriend. His first action upon returning is to throw his estranged wife Lucija and son Martin out of his family home. He relishes being back in his family homestead and sort of reliving his younger days, even visiting the nearby carnival (the circus of the title). It soon becomes clear, from his obsession with his pet cat to his cold treatment of his girlfriend, that Divko has more on his mind than simply reclaiming his heritage.

All the performances are uniformly excellent. The only face familiar to US audiences is Mira Furlan, who plays the embittered Lucija. The Yugoslav actress has appeared in many American TV shows, including recurring roles in BABYLON 5 and in LOST, as the unbalanced island inhabitant Danielle Rousseau.

Tanovic mixes this central story well with a coming-of-age theme and the dangers still present in Herzegovina, at times with a somewhat lighter touch. American audiences may have trouble deciphering all the cultural and political differences that drive the various plot lines of CIRKUS COLUMBIA, but it doesn’t really matter. The ongoing struggles in this region of the world are simply something Tanovic is familiar with, and he is adept at using this background to illustrate the destructive effects of the conflict.

Families torn apart by war is not a new theme, but here the more subtle themes of political coercion and erosion of trust become important elements. War takes its toll, and the actions of the family members seem extreme at times because, as one character puts it, “We’re all a little insane.” Tanovic mixes these characters deftly, slowly revealing how the events of the past have shaped the family relationships that ultimately bring the movie to its satisfying conclusion.

Showtimes

Friday, November 11th at 4:30pm – Plaza Frontenac

Sunday, November 13th at 9:30pm – Plaza Frontenac

I was more than a little surprised by the animated film A CAT IN PARIS. From the stills I expected a sweet little cartoon cat zipping up the Eiffel Tower after dashing through a sidewalk bistro. It turns out that this films owes more to THAT DARN CAT than THE ARISTOCATS. We get a sweet little story about a cute young girl and her kitty with elements of a sleek crime thriller. The film starts with a figure leaping from rooftop to rooftop under moonlit skies. Nico the cat burglar strikes again accompanied by his feline pal, Dino. After they’ve returned to his home with a bagful of stolen jewels, the two part ways. Dino returns to Zoe who lives with her widowed police superintendent Mom and housekeeper. Mother is busy with these night-time robberies and pursuing Victor the crime kingpin who murdered her policeman hubby ( which caused Zoe to stop speaking ). Soon their worlds will collide in a wild chase through the streets of Paris ( including a zoo and cathedral ).

The film resembles a children’s storybook come to life with the rounded characters rendered in the style of pastel and colored pencil drawings. No CGI stuff on display here. Their faces are basic, simple shapes with long, sharp noses and tiny eyes. Backgrounds are blocky box shapes for the cityscapes and loosely detailed shrubbery. Some of the violent gunplay, mild cursing, suspenseful pursuits, and stories of ” dead daddies ” may upset the very youngest film goers. And the English dubbing is a bit clumsy at times. But there’s some great gags and terrific hand drawn animation work on display here, so a trip to the city of lights with Dino the cat is a pleasant, diverting little cartoon getaway

Showtimes

Saturday, November 12th at 1:00pm – Wildey Theatre

Sunday, November 20th at 12:00pm – Washington U. /Brown

CHICO AND RITA is a dazzling, musical feature-length animated film that uses many modern techniques while harkening back to a time, not too long ago, when American studios flirted with the idea of animation geared to more adult stories. Now this is not to say that the great Pixar films don’t have adult themes but their  finished stories are “kid-friendly”. Forty years ago Ralph Bakshi was heading the charge for movie cartoons to compete for mature audiences. As Fritz the Cat said in the ads, ” I’m X-rated and animated! “. Soon Bakshi’s  toned down th more extreme elements in his features ( ending his run with WIZARDS, AMERICAN POP, and his take on Tolkein ) while other studios explored the territory with WATERSHIP DOWN and HEAVY METAL. American audiences never embraced these as they did in Asia and Europe. With C&R the artists are tackling an old fashioned show biz rags to riches love story ( having just seen the new BluRay release I was reminded of NEW YORK,NEW YORK ) and giving it some animated energy to go with that bouncy Latin beat.

The film begins in modern day Havana as Chico, an old shoe shine man, returns to his simple apartment. He tunes in his battered radio to a classic music station and listens to one of his old melodies. His mind flashes back to 1948. Then he was a promising young jazz pianist who, along with his bandmate Ramon, are giving two American “chicas ’ a whirlwind tour of Cuban hot spots. When they enter a small  nightclub, Chico is stunned by the talent and beauty of a young singer named Rita. Over the next few years the two form a professional and personal partnership. They make great music, fight, break-up, reunite, and pursue their dreams. Eventually they separate and Chico travels to New York, Las Vegas, and Hollywood to be with his dream girl as her star quickly rises.

The story is told primarily through the medium of hand-drawn 2-D animation ( as opposed to the CGI molded stars like Shrek ). The human characters are simply designed with a minimum of details and linework. Like a live-action film the camera does zoom in slowly on them for dramatic effect. Now, this is not to say that computers were not used here, The intricate background drawings are separated into levels and given a rounded quality as are the gorgeous vintage autos. This is very effective as the principals race through those sixty year old neon streets. Caricature is also used to establish the settings. We get to hear and see several musical greats from Woody Herman to Charlie Parker to Nat King Cole ( is that Desi Arnaz singing at a funeral? ). During a fantasy dream sequence  Rita’s  dancing with Astaire and romanced by Bogart. As I stated earlier this is really an adult story. There’s some rough language, drug use, smoking, full nudity, and a mob-style shoot out. We even get a bit of history with the Cuban revolution and segregation ( the two leads are dark-skinned Cubans ). This film is a treat for the eyes and ears that doesn’t forget the heart.

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Showtimes

Friday, November 11th at 9:00pm – Wildey Theatre

Friday, November 18th at 9:30pm – Tivoli Theatre

 THE WOMEN ON THE 6TH FLOOR is a new period comedy/ drama from France that surprisingly has much in common with one of 2011′s American blockbusters, THE HELP. Both films are set in the societal upheaval of the early 1960s and both concern the travails of domestic workers and their employers. While the US version was tied to the civil rights movement ( with literally life and death at stake ), the French story is more concerned with social class structure along with a second chance romance. Still both films have a great deal of empathy for the sometimes invisible ” hired help”.

Jean Louis ( Fabrice Luchini) is a successful investment consultant at his old, established family banking firm in 1960′s Paris. He and his status-seeking socialite wife, Suzanne ( Sandrine Kiberlain ) and two spoiled preteen sons ( usually away at an exclusive boarding school ) reside in a large downtown apartment complex. Living above Jean Louis’s opulent apartment that encompasses the entire level are the Spanish born maids who work in the different households. These are the women of the sixth floor who each live almost in squalor, in tiny single rooms and must share one bathroom and a communal sink. One day Jean Louis’s French maid of many years finally quits after another clash with Suzanne. This occurs around the time of the arrival of Maria ( Natalia Verbeke ) a lovely young woman from Toledo who is soon seeking domestic help employment. Jean Louis hires Maria and is charmed by her and her other sixth floor friends ( one is a Daily Worker reading radical, another is deeply religious, one must escape an abusive husband, while another is out to snare a hubby ). His interactions with the ladies rekindle his zest for life after his soul had become deadened by his stale upper class routine. Finally Jean Louis must decide if he will stay on the path that his forefathers have traveled or defy convention and fully join Maria’s world.

The story of cultural and class romance has been explored in many different media ( the BBC-TV series ” Upstairs, Downstairs ” first springs to mind ). Everything here hinges on whether the film makers provide a fresh spin on this subject. I’d have to say that the results here are fairly predictable and a bit condescending. Luchini is the old stick in the mud business guy ( if this were an American film he’d be a WASP ). The breakfast egg fanaticism gives him that anal-retentive extra edge. His wife is a cold shrew only interested in impressing the neighbors, and is never really given the chance to change. Plus the sons are coarse, bullying jerks. Verbeke’s Maria is almost a sensual Mary Poppins who appears to awake the sleeping Jean Louis. She and her “sisters” are the earthy, passionate ethnics that will teach these dullards how to live. They’re each archetypes more than real people. The main problem with the film is the tentative relationship at its center. We can easily understand why Jean Louis falls for the spunky, beautiful, much-younger Maria, but it’s difficult to understand her attraction to him ( yeah, he’s wealthy and becomes more caring, but she deserves more ). The 60′s fashions and settings are well executed, but the final scenes seem hurriedly cobbled together. THE WOMEN ON THE 6TH FLOOR is a sweet-natured film full of good intentions that doesn’t succeed in bringing anything new in the clash between the classes.

Overall Rating: Two Out of Five Stars