"Stone" **1/2 (105 minutes)

Ed Norton with Moderator Nell Minow following the screening of "Stone"

Monday October 4, 2010

Off to the AFI Silver for another special event. This time it's the screening of Robert De Niro and Ed Norton's latest corroboration (they previously worked together on 2001's "The Score", which was also Brando's last film) followed by a Q&A with Norton-who grew up down the road in Columbia Maryland. Despite the A-list actors and a promising opening 10 minutes, ultimately, the post-screening festivities (coverage provided after this review) were far more satisfying than the film.

The psychological prison drama is one we've seen before. As the film opens, we witness a young Jack Mabry (Enver Gjokaj) threatening his wife (Francis Conroy) when she announces her intent to leave him. Switch to the present, and Mabry (De Niro) is a dutiful parole officer getting ready for retirement. But, before he does, he's about to be responsible for handling Gerald "Stone" Creeson (Norton-in dreadlocks, no less)-a hardened urban criminal doing time for murdering his grandparents and then torching their house.

When Creeson, a career manipulator, realizes that his chances of getting paroled are slim & none, he hatches a plan to have his wife Lucetta (played alluringly by Milla Jovovich) seduce Jack in hopes of blackmailing Creeson to ultimately obtain a favorable parole recommendation.

Director John Curran (2006's "The Painted Veil) does a fairly competent job. However, what is most disappointing is the pedestrian script by promising screenwriter Angus MacLachlan in this his 2nd effort after bursting onto the scene with 2005's highly successful "Junebug.

Although the acting is first rate by the principles, the film's psychological twists and turns all seemed too familiar and predictable that, by the end, I could have cared less about the outcome.

The DVD was released on January 18.

As I stated, the wonderful discussion and Q&A were well worth the price of admission. Moderated by film reviewer and corporate expert, "Movie Mom", Nell Minow, the audience was thoroughly entertained and enlightened by Mr. Norton, who provided much insight into his acting style, in particular, & the movie making business, in general.

When quizzed about the cornrows he sports early in the film, Ed said that while researching at the prison he noticed that they were ubiquitous-as prevalent as tattoos. He also mentioned that the prisoners carry with them a kind of "intense anxiety" that he tried to bring to his portrayal and that a lot of it that ended up in the scenes was not in the script. He spoke about one particular prisoner who actually supplied him with about 60% of the language that Norton ended up using in the film.

He called De Niro the "librarian of actors", saying that he was the most right-brained, clinical, methodical, & meticulous actor he knew. Edward added that he identified with De Niro's research oriented approach to his craft. Also, knowing each other before meant they didn't have to over rehearse their scenes together.

In response to a question about his work on the stage, Edward mentioned that his whole grounding and training was in theater and that he's always looking for a good play. Also, Edward admired and appreciated Curran who brings a lot of ambiguity to his films instead of spoon-feeding the audience and making sure they like him.

When quizzed as to what he found was most difficult in going from acting to directing (he directed the 2000 comedy "Keeping the Faith") he humorously commented that it was "annoying actors that won't come out of their trailers to the set". Then, more seriously, added that it was having to deal with so many responsibilities. He quoted Hitchcock saying that it was like getting pecked to death by a thousand pigeons. He was more comfortable directing a lighter film for the first time as opposed to a more layered film such as "Stone"- adding that he greatly admired people like Orson Wells who do monumental characters while directing.

Gerald (Ed Nortonn) & Lucetta Milla Jovovich) discussing
their plan

Jack (Robert De Niro) & Madylyn (Frances Conroy)

Ed Norton responding to a question
from the audience

ROGER EBERT RETURNS TO TV VIA PBS

Here is a link to an AP piece about the show. Be certain to check your local listings for air times.

Also, here is an interesting article on Roger's website regarding the prosthesis he'll be donning on the show.

"Easy A" (*** 1/2-90 minutes)

Wednesday September 29, 2010

A star is born-and her name is Emma Stone. Well, not exactly born-the 22 year-old actor has already appeared in a number of supporting roles-beginning in 2008 in "The Rocker" & "The House Bunny", as well as 2009's critically-acclaimed "Zombieland", and in 2009's not-so-critically-acclaimed "The Ghosts of Girlfriend's Past". However, her breakout role as virgin schoolgirl Olive Penderghast will not only put her on the map but could easily garner an Oscar nod as well.

Olive wants to get out of a camping weekend with her hippie parents and ends up spending it alone at home. When quizzed by her best friend Rhiannon (Alyson Michalka) as to how she spent her weekend, she makes up a white lie that she had a rendezvous with a college dude. The fib spirals quickly out of control through the usual gossip channels. Suddenly popular "in the wrong way" she uses her newfound popularity to help positively transform the negative perceptions of gays, nerds, and misfits-all the while fueling her perception as the school sexpert.

Director Will Gluck, who misfired with the 2009 gross teen comedy "Fired Up", completely reverses field and tones it down with this high school comedy that seldom misfires. The smart intelligent script by Bert V. Royal is further enhanced with an "A" supporting cast including the great indie actors Patricia Clarkson & Stanley Tucci as Olive's easy going, cool, liberal parents; Thomas Haden Church (2004's wonderful "Sideways") & Lisa Kudrow-who play Olive's favorite teacher and the school's guidance counselor, respectively; and Malcolm McDowell as the school principal.

The film will bring to mind other top notch teen comedies such as "Clueless", "Mean Girls", & several John Hughes' classics, but this one stands on its own-mainly due to the charismatic Stone who confidently carries the picture on her lovely shoulders. Oh, and the "A" in the title is more than likely a clear reference to Nathanial Hawthorne's "Scarlet Letter", where the heroine was forced to wear that letter around her neck to symbolize her adulterous ways. For me, it also stands for the rating that I am giving for both the film, in general, and Emma Stone, in particular.

The movie is currently available on DVD.

Olive (Emma Stone) getting the attention
of her school mates

"Jack Goes Boating" (***1/2-89 minutes)

Actress Amy Ryan with moderator Blake Robison, Producing Artistic
Director of the Round House Theater

Wednesday September 22, 2010

Add Philip Seymour Hoffman to the ever-growing list of actors who are trying their hand behind the camera. Thankfully, he continues to put his mug in front of it as he marvelously performs double duty in this wonderful character-driven drama based on the off-Broadway by Bob Glaudini (who does the scriptwriting honors as well).

Jack (Hoffman), a limousine driver for his uncle in New York, is a painfully shy loner. He regularly meets with his much more outgoing co-worker & best friend Clyde (John Ortiz, last seen in 2009's "Public Enemies" & "The Fast & The Furious") and, at the suggestion of his wife, Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega) agrees to be fixed up with an equally shy person who works with Lucy in a funeral home.

The three principals have recreated their stage roles for the screen. The newcomer to the project is the wonderful Amy Ryan (nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2007's "Gone Baby Gone") as Connie. Although the match appears to have been made in heaven, two lost souls who have finally found each other, loner Jack begins the laborious process of trying to woo Connie with proper mentoring in cooking and swimming skills provided by Clyde. All of this prepares the audience for the climatic third act when Jack attempts to prepare a first-time dinner for Connie, Clyde, & Lucy.

One can see how this story would fit nicely on a live stage, but Hoffman, who does an admirable, if somewhat pedestrian, job behind the camera, opens up the story with drab location shots around the big city. Nevertheless, what really drives this simple, human story about 2 very diverse couples is the superb acting. Each actor brings a definite believability and poignancy to their characters that makes the 90 minutes fly by, and, ultimately, worthwhile.

The film is available on Netflix on January 18.

Following the screening at the AFI-Silver Theater was a wonderful interview with actor Amy Ryan by moderator Blake Robison (Producing Artistic Director of the Round House Theater in Silver Spring, MD) followed by a fascinating Q & A. During the interview, Amy spoke about her last appearance in D.C. at the Kennedy Center in 2004 performing in "A Streetcar Named Desire" (which led to a Tony nomination). She also performed on the stage in "Uncle Vanya".

Amy was born and raised in Queens and still resides in N.Y. in Manhattan. She mentioned that she worked with Hoffman in "Capote", but, before that, she worked with him in N.Y. in one-act plays for the drama department. When Philip asked her to be a part this film, he asked her if she could wait about a year because it was to be filmed in winter. She humorously remarked that "yes, Philip is someone I'd wait forever for". The play was performed in N.Y. by the LABrinth Theater Company, a company run by both Hoffman and founder John Ortiz.

Ryan stated that the rehearsal lasted an extraordinarily short two weeks before filming began. She mentioned that Philip wanted to get that done because it would be difficult to explore the acting as much when he began directing.

When asked the question as to what was her favorite part about stage acting and film acting. Amy responded that, in stage acting, she has an intimate dialogue with the audience and experiences a thrill due to the energy that happens in the dark-that everyone is in on the story. She mentioned the thrill, "like no other", of the immediacy of this process. As for film acting, there is the excitement of sharing it with a larger audience despite the process being so minuscule-that it's a different intimacy. Amy always believed it was important to do plays when she was younger because she realized that theater is where she would learn to be a better actor and film was where she could apply what she learned.

In addition to stage and film, Amy has also added TV to her resume, appearing in the finale of season four of "The Office" and several subsequent shows, as well as in HBO's "In Treatment" series as Gabriel Byrne's new therapist.

Jack & Connie go boating

Clyde (John Ortiz) & Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega)

2010 AFI SILVERDOCS AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER ON INDEPENDENT LENS, JAN 4 AT 10 PM ON PBS

If you don’t live in the Baltimore/Washington area, check your local listings as PBS airs “Independent Lens” at different times in different markets. Repeats are always on the schedule if you happen to miss it the first time. Here was my review form last June’s Festival:

"MEN WHO SWIM" (***-58 minutes)

The North American premier of 40-year-old filmmaker Dylan Williams' lighthearted take on his attempt to combat his impending mid-life crises ends up winning this year's SILVERDOCS Audience Award. Welshman Williams moves to Sweden to live with his Swedish girlfriend, marry, & start a family. No longer able to hold onto dreams of becoming a rock star, and feeling like, excuse the pun, a fish out of water, his new plan is simple & unique: become involved in a men's synchronized swimming team. However, his simple hobby rises to the next level when he & his comrades decide to compete for the unofficial All Male World Championship in Milan as the Stockholm Art Swim Gents. We see the team training and, on the surface, all appears hopeless when their coach quits after seeing the futility of it all. However, the middle age gents are determined to go all out to try to dethrone the world champion Dutch team-despite the physical and sociological obstacles placed before them. (For example, when one media reporter proclaims this is "a sport for homosexuals", one of them proudly replies, "Any sport is for homosexuals, and any sport is for heterosexuals.") A light and humorous look at guys who fervently try to prove that life, indeed, begins after 40-and that, with the proper effort and determination, anything is possible.

"Romantic Warriors: A Progressive Music Saga" (*** 1/2-95 minutes)

If you ask most people "What is progressive rock?" more often than not you'll get blank stares. However, if you mention such 40+ year-old classic rock groups such as Pink Floyd, Yes, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, & Emerson, Lake & Palmer, suddenly you'll get a nod and a response. These groups were the pioneers of a genre of music that has long been considered anti-mainstream and not readily accessible in this day and age of pop music sensibilities. With its roots going back to the late 60's and early 70's, this form of music culls together rock, classical, jazz, and world music that is still thriving-despite lacking the publicity, advertising, & generous airwaves enjoyed by its more popular accessible pop counterpart.

Award-winning German documentary film maker Adele Schmidt and her partner and prog fan, Peruvim-born José Zegarra Holder, have set out, and wonderfully succeeded, in documenting the talent and artistry of worldwide progressive rock musicians that will gleefully introduce this art form to newcomers, and will explain why prog music should not be ignored. Although the film is chock full of history and interviews, the real reason for tuning in is the music. Skillfully edited, the music is fabulously mixed to showcase the incredible talent that defines what this musical style is all about.

It seems proponents of prog rock in the U.S. have settled for displaying their wares on the U.S. East Coast. Three festivals are showcased: ROSfest (Rites of Spring) held in Pennsylvania, ProgDay (purported to be "the world's longest running progressive rock festival") held at Storybook Farm near Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and NEARfest (North East Art Rock festival), the largest progressive music festival in the U.S. currently held at Bethlehem, Pa. in June. You'll see bands performing at both locations throughout the doc. A forth location is right here in Baltimore at Mike Potter's Orion Studios where he constantly invites international prog groups to practice & perform throughout the year.

Although many bands are shown performing, four are prominently featured: Cabezas de Cera, D.F.A., Cheer-Accident, and Deluge Grander/Dan Britton. Qui, Phideaux, Karmakanic, and La Maschera di Cera are given shorter, but entertaining, film time. Tying it all together for the older folks is ex-Gentle Giant lead guitarist Gary Green, who gives insightful commentary on progressive music throughout the documentary. "Ancient" 1974 clips of GG's performance will give the viewer equal helpings of background & nostalgia.

At the screening I attended at Orion Studios on December 4 (which featured a wonderful pre-screening performance by Chapman Stickist Rob Martino-who is featured in the film), I asked Adele about the title. She responded that it fit the mindset of the musicians who have accepted the "romance" of playing the music they love with total disregard to financial or commercial success, while being thoroughly engaged in the struggle to present their music & gain acceptance with the general public. This documentary should go a long way in accomplishing that goal.

The film is currently making the festival circuit but is now available for purchase at Amazon.com as well as at this site.

"The Social Network" (*** 1/2-120 minutes)

Thursday September 23, 2010

Director David Fincher's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" was my favorite film in 2008 and should have taken home the coveted Best Picture Award (won by "Slumdog Millionaire"). Fincher goes from fantasy/adventure to this docudrama and, will most likely be in strong contention for this year's award. Shown mainly in flashbacks, we methodically see how the dude who created Facebook, almost by fluke, became in a few short years the planet's youngest billionaire.

Harvard student & computer nerd Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg in a breakout role that will undoubtedly get him AA consideration), upset at being dumped at a restaurant by his girlfriend (Rooney Mara-set to play the latest Lisbeth Salander in the Americanized version of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo") in a brilliant nine minute opening scene, decides to get back by immediately creating an online on campus woman rating page using the head shots of Harvard coeds. After the campus servers crash from all of the ensuing traffic, Mark is contacted by jock twins, future Olympic rowers, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (both seamlessly played by Armie Hammer) who have a "Facebook" idea but need Zuckerberg's genius to bring it to fruition. Realizing he would never be accepted in their "club" Mark takes their idea and runs with it-all for himself. (One of the legal deposition scenes involves their lawsuit against the now successful Facebook CEO.)

The two main supporting characters are Eduardo (competently played by Andrew Garfield-currently in "Never Let Me Go") who is Mark's only friend who became his early financier-only to be later dumped by the heartless Zuckerberg. (Also included are deposition scenes involving his lawsuit against his longtime friend and co-founder.) And Justin Timberlake (forget 'N Sync, folks-this guy can act! Look for an AA Supporting Actor nom) as Napster & Plaxo founder Sean Parker who takes Mark by the shirt collar and introduces him to Silicon Valley with all the accompanying wild woman, parties, & drugs.

However, the real star is the spectacular rapid fire spot-on dizzying script (based on Ben Mezrich's book "The Accidental Billionaires") by "West Wing" scribe Aaron Sorkin who also wrote the "Charlie Wilson's War" & "The American President" screenplays. It is almost as if Sorkin were being paid by the word, as one's utmost attention is a requisite to getting the most juice out of his wonderful delicious script. My main beef was that, although the pulsating soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is a perfect accompaniment to Fincher's spectacular visual style, the music at times overpowers the words-which has as much character presence as the actor's who are voicing them.

The film, a "Citizen Kane" for our times, never bores and will help put in better perspective a story about how a computer geek had the knowhow, timing, & luck, to earn a king's ransom establishing a network that now involves over 500 million humans interconnecting as "friends" on the World Wide Web.

Erica (Rooney Mara) & Mark (Jesse Eisenberg) exchange

barbs in the opening scene

Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) tries to join forces

with Zuckerberg

Eduardo (Andrew Garfield): Mark's friend, partner, & financier

BLOGGER'S NOTE:

The good news is that, even though I haven't posted any new reviews since early October, I have continued to attend several film screenings and events over the past month. However, due to recent circumstances beyond my control, I haven't been able to devote the proper time to sit down at my keyboard to update this site. However, I am now ready to get back to my writings and will soon post reviews of several films and events including: Philip Seymour Hoffman's "Jack Goes Boating" (with coverage of a post-screening Q&A with AA nominated actress Amy Ryan), director David Fincher's "The Social Network", Emma Stone's "Easy A", "Stone" (with coverage of a post-screening Q&A with Ed Norton), "Never Let Me Go", AA winning director Danny Boyle's upcoming "127 Hours" (with coverage of the Q&A with the director), & the upcoming "Fair Game" about mother/CIA spy Valerie Plamem whose covert identity was revealed by The Bush Administration in 2003 (with coverage of the Q&A with director Doug Liman, Valerie, & her husband, ex-Ambassador Joe Wilson). So please stop back as I will soon be ready to provide you with my humble opinion that just might prevent you from spending a couple of hours in a theater that you'll never get back.

"Buried" (***-110 minutes)

Tuesday September 21, 2010

As the credits were rolling, I sat there transfixed-immediately probing my brain as to how I was going to approach the review of this film after I had just spent an hour and 40 minutes watching Ryan Reynolds ("The Proposal", but is best known as the actor who dumped pop singer Alanis Morissett to marry Scarlet Johannson) alive in a coffin. My initial conceit was that this was a near miss-a 2 1/2 star flick. However, this film will not go away from my brain cells, and the more I think about it, the more there is to admire about it. Director Rodrigo Cortés, proficient in short films, has ingeniously made, along with cinematographer Eduard Grau ("A Single Man"), his first full-length feature that grabs and won't let go.


Paul Conroy, an independent trucker in Iraq, wakes up in that coffin, along with, among other things, a pen, lighter, flashlight, and a cell phone. After the initial shock of where he is, he gets a series of phone calls and discovers that he has been kidnapped and buried for a ransom. Over the course of 110 minutes (which helps explain the life of that cell phone battery that seems to last forever-until we realize that the movie plays in real time), he desperately tries to contact outsiders to try to help him escape his tomb.

Cortés' ingenious use of light (occasionally throwing the screen into darkness), sound, and a nice haunting soundtrack by Victor Reyes, makes it even more suspenseful, claustrophobic, & creepy. In addition, Reynolds pulls it all off with an intense believable solo acting turn (only voice-overs are supplied by other actors) that is sure to finally get him noticed in a big way.

Although "Buried" is not an easy film to recommend, and it does lose its way a couple of times during the middle reels, you won't be able to look away from this exercise in terror that delivers up until the very end.

The film started platforming across the U.S. last Friday, including D.C., and is due to open in Baltimore next month.

Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) in a bit of a fix

"The Town" (***-125 minutes)

Tuesday September 14, 2010

The town referred to in the title is Charlestown, identified at the outset as a Boston neighborhood with the unique distinction of having more bank and armor car robberies in one square mile than anywhere else in the U.S. Armed with that tidbit of information we immediately are thrust upon a bank robbery about to take place. The perpetrators are a gang of four and, with precision skill, we quickly recognize that these guys are quite adept at their occupation.

During the course of the bank robbery, they take the bank manager hostage and later release her. When the leader of the gang, Doug MacRay (Affleck), who has that heart of gold, finds out the hostage lives in their hood, he takes it upon himself to check her out. Soon the cops and robbers theme, takes a turn into romance and personal redemption. Added in are two more heists that turn into increasingly major gun battles. The last, staged at Fenway Park, is so ridiculously unrealistic that my eyes haven't stopped turning in their sockets.

Based on Chuck Hogan's 2004 novel "Prince of Thieves" (which won the 2005 Hammett Prize for excellence in crime writing), Ben Affleck follows up his Boston-based directorial debut, 2007's "Gone Baby Gone", with this gritty crime drama in which he also stars & co-wrote (along with Peter Craig & his Gone Baby Gone co-writer, Aaron Stockard).

The film should please the most ardent popcorn-loving crowd. Although I do not count myself as one of them, there is much to admire here. First is the acting by some of Hollywood's finest talents. At the top of that list is last year's Oscar nominated Jeremy Renner from 2009's AA Best Picture "The Hurt Locker". His role here as the hotheaded Jem, Doug's childhood friend & partner, is a volcano ready to explode. His performance proves his best acting nomination last year was no fluke-and could put him on the nomination list again. His total immersion in his character made me squirm while watching him in my seat. As the bank manager, Rebecca Hall (wonderful in Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and this year's "Please Give") perfectly portrays the roller coaster emotions she experiences. As the FBI agent pursuing the robbers, Jon Hamm (best known for his TV work in "Mad Men") is totally believable and is the perfect foil for the gang. Blake Lively gives a commendable performance as Jem's sister, a lady who still has the hots for MacRay. In addition, there is an all too brief wonderful performance by the great Chris Cooper as Doug MacRay's dad, currently living out his days in prison.

Also positive is the look and feel of the locations, which hometown boy Affleck knows all too well (although the Boston Irish accents are so thick in spots that I wished that subtitles were provided). And the soundtrack by David Buckley & Harry Gregson-Williams perfectly complements the action.

The main problems: the film needs some serious editing. Cutting at least 20 minutes would have made it tighter. Also, those action sequences, although expertly staged, go way over the believability scale for my tastes. The last shootout at Fenway Park, as I mentioned above, is practically science fiction and takes away from everything that preceded it. And, of course, we have that usual Hollywood ending that neatly wraps up the 2 hours but ultimately left me cold and disinterested.

So put me down for a 2 1/2 star flick that elevates to 3 stars due mainly to the incredible acting Affleck gets out of his cast, as well as the overall production values on the screen. Just be certain you have enough popcorn to get you through the 2 hours.

The gang of four (l to r): Jem (Jeremy Renner), 'Gloansy'

(Slain Jenkins), Desmond (Owen Burke), & Doug (Ben Affleck)

Agent Frawley (Jon Hamm) tries to get Claire (Rebecca

Hall) to cooperate

Krista (Blake Lively) & Doug (Affleck)