A Teacher (2013)

Directed by: Hannah Fidell
Country: USA

Movie Review: “A Teacher” depicts another teacher/student relationship, created by director, producer, and screenwriter Hannah Fidell. Diana (Lindsay Burdge) is a High-School teacher in Austin, Texas, who is widely immersed in a relationship with her student Eric Tull (Will Brittain). With some rumors in School about other similar cases of infringement, Diana lives with a constant dread that her secret may be uncovered. Eric, in turn, seems carefree and decided to enjoy every moment with her. After a certain episode when they were spending a weekend in a ranch, Diana starts to show signs of discomfort, and her fear soon falls in mistrust and anxiety. The relation starts to deteriorate, but the dependence on Eric makes her too exposed, putting her profession in jeopardy. The story plays with Diana’s emotional instability, placing face-to-face desire and moral concerns. It’s also evident that Diana has pending problems with her family (we just aren’t told which ones), acting like traumatized when facing them; this point just serves to reinforce her loneliness and dependency on this new love. Not being particularly new and lacking the surprise factor, “A Teacher” was nicely shot and addressed with sobriety within a correct pace, though I believe that Fidell could have developed her characters and story in more depth, so they don't seem so vague in particular aspects. Special mention to Lindsay Burdge who was convincing as the depressive teacher.

Adore (2013)

Directed by: Anne Fontaine
Country: Australia / France

Movie Review: Based on a novel by Doris Lessing entitled “The Grandmothers”, “Adore” was turned into a cheesy exercise by Anne Fontaine (“Coco Before Channel”, “The Girl From Monaco”). Lil (Naomi Watts) and Roz (Robin Wright) are childhood best friends and neighbors in a secluded, small coastal town of Australia. While Lil is a recent widow, Roz is married with Harold, who feels excluded and is about to move to Sidney where he has a better job opportunity. These women’s lives will be shaken when both of them start an affair with each other’s son. The plot lives from the successive changes in these complex relationships, with all the morality concerns associated, and by confronting two different generations that have distinct perceptions of the reality. All quite messy and melodramatic, “Adore” presents so many twists along the way that, at certain point, I felt disconnected from what was happening. Any possible interest that the story might have roused, vanished all of a sudden, diluted in the layers of multiple complexities that arise when the two boys decide to marry with younger women, turning Lil and Roz into despaired grandmothers hungry for love. The lousy climax reserved for the end, was presented in a sequence of ridicule scenes that reminded a cheap soap opera rather than a real drama. Ladies’ performances eventually became the valuable aspect of this film.

Populaire (2012)

Directed by: Régis Roinsard
Country: France

Movie Review: “Populaire”, the directorial debut by Régis Roinsard gains in ambition in the same proportion as lacks in creativity. It’s a kitsch recreation of the American romantic comedies from the 50’s, set up with frenetic boogie rhythms and jazz standards in the background. The last thing Rose (Déborah François) wants is to live in her small hometown, working for her father and marry the son of the local gas station's owner. Feeling pressured, Rose decides to go to Paris and become a secretary, a dream that will come true after being hired by Louis Echard (Romain Duris), an eternal bachelor who doesn’t sees her as an efficient employee but recognizes her ability to typewrite with an unusual speed. The duo will become successful in speed typewriting contests, and love arrives without surprise, but not everything will be so easy for the couple, since Louis shows decision problems regarding their relationship and tends to restrain his inner feelings. The interest of the film came more from the energy of the contests than the romance itself whose development left me with a sense of déja-vu. Though, its ending statement: ‘Americans for business, and French for love’, doesn’t apply so much as a truth here. With obvious outcomes and far-fetched tones, “Populaire” accomplished its role of crowd-pleaser and entertainer with some charms, most of them coming from the reliable performances.

Touchy Feely (2013)

Directed by: Lynn Shelton
Country: USA

Movie Review: After the relatively successful “My Sister’s Sister”, Lynn Shelton returns to screenwriting and direction with “Touchy Feely”, a sweetish drama about human connection, pursuit of happiness, and energy benefits. The story is focused on three relatives: Abby (Rosemarie DeWitt), a massage therapist whose occasional aversion to body contact hampers her from working or having a normal relationship, and is pondering to take ecstasy pills as a solution; her brother Paul (Josh Pais), a dentist whose apathy suddenly changes to a sort of healing touch after he has discovered reiki energy; and finally the latter’s daughter, Jenny (Ellen Page), who wants to study and is not happy to work for her father at the dental office. Shelton applied sad, depressive, and self-pity tones to depict all the characters, which was a bit annoying. The few times that she tried to take advantage on some humor, the scenes simply didn’t work, and the story remained lost in its despaired question of ‘what can I do with my life to feel better?’. In its final part, the confusion in the characters’ heads changed to a clear insight and the plot ran into a controlled mess of intentions and behaviors that seemed quite unbalanced. Ironically, by seeing so many disconnections, I wasn’t able to connect with this story. Perhaps a movie about the power of energy should have been less faint and more dynamic, with or without ecstasy pills...

Northwest (2013)

Directed by: Michael Noer
Country: Denmark

Movie Review: Without being particularly original, “Northwest” gives a good notion of the multiracial conflicts in the Northwest’s Copenhagen's underworld. Casper is a 18-year-old burglar who works for Jamal, the leader of an Arab gang that controls the black market in town. Casper’s younger brother, Andy, isn’t very much welcome in the group, having inclusively some problems with Ali, a dangerous thug and Jamal's right-hand. Fed up of being tricked by the Arabs, Casper accepts a job's proposition made by Bjorn, a local drug dealer who also runs a prostitution business. Little by little, Casper involves his brother in these organized crime scenarios, but will have to deal with Jamal who starts to intimidate them. More about Casper and Andy’s personalities will be revealed when they are assigned to kill Jamal in his hiding place and things get out of control. Stepping known territories, “Northwest” revealed sufficient rawness and energy to be considered an efficient action-crime film. Helmer Michael Noer, who co-directed “R” with Tobias Lindholm in 2010, was capable of mixing racial and family issues in an engaging way, making us follow the story with expectation. Real brothers Gustav and Oscar Dyekjaer Giese did a great job, in a film that probably won’t be a reference in the genre but which offers interesting and believable situations.

Crystal Fairy (2013)

Directed by: Sebastián Silva
Country: Chile

Movie Review: After the failure “Magic Magic”, it was with enormous satisfaction that I saw Chilean helmer Sebastián Silva returning to his best with “Crystal Fairy”, a cool trip into the world of drugs, friendship, and compassion. The film was co-produced by the cult-director Pablo Larraín, author of authentic gems such as “Tony Manero”, “Post Mortem”, and “No”, and its approach comes much closer from the looseness of “Magic Magic” rather than the rigor of “The Maid”. The story, set in Chile, begins with the weird Jamie (Michael Cera) doing drugs in a party where he strikes up a conversation with Crystal Fairy (Gaby Hoffman), a hippie girl under the effect of acid. Without any real intention, Jamie gives his phone number and tells her about his plans to go on a trip to the North with his friends on the next day. Without losing time, Crystal Fairy joined the group towards the adventure but her presence seems to mean trouble. Very funny situations were created when Crystal made herself too comfortable in front of the boys, talking about energy, meditation, and chakras, or when they go desperately looking for San Pedro, a cactus known for its hallucinogenic properties. Near the end, the tempers get hot, paranoia arises due to drugs, and many sad truths are revealed. With a confident moving camera, Silva, who won the directing award at Sundance, mixes humor, drama, and adventure, in a believable portrait about a wandering, lost soul. Cera and Hoffman were simply irreproachable in their roles.

Night Across The Street (2012)

Directed by: Raoul Ruiz
Country: Chile / France

Movie Review: Raoul Ruiz was able to finish “Night Across The Street” before he dies at the age of 70, making it a meaningful goodbye in a great career. Certainly it was not a coincidence that Ruiz had returned to its origins, Chile, to make this reflective and ironic film about time, life, and death. By mixing real and surreal aspects, he encloses everything that he considers life, through the story of Celso (Sergio Hernandéz), his main character. Celso is one step closer to retirement and seems disoriented with that fact, keeping the mind constantly occupied with visits to his childhood. In these frequent absences from reality, he contacts with the writer Jean Giono, the musician Beethoven, or the pirate John Long Silver, three great storytellers, according to him. These fictional scenes are intertwined with other that we assume to be real. It was almost if Ruiz had an urge to share all his collected knowledge throughout the years; history, politics, cinema, dreams, technology, landscape change, spiritualism, love, and even a crime subplot in a doomed house; everything was a good pretext to tell us about life. But the occasional sound of an alarm clock is still there to take him away from his cinematic dreams and remind him that lifetime has reaching an end. Beautifully shot using faint lights and a profound sense of nostalgia, this surrealist film wouldn’t make Buñuel or Fellini ashamed of its haunting inaccessibility.

This Is Martin Bonner (2013)

Directed by: Chad Hartigan
Country: USA

Movie Review: In this drama, written and directed by Chad Hartigan, we can see two men trying to restart their lives in two different ways. Martin Bonner (Paul Enhoorn) is in his late 50’s, and with stubborn determination is doing the best he can to reconstruct his life in Reno, Nevada, where he moved after a painful divorce that left him broke. He left two children in Maryland: a daughter, with whom he speaks often on the cellphone, and a son who runs a gallery and never has time for his dad. Now working for a charitable organization, his life will become easier to handle when he gets to know Travis (Richmond Arquette), a man who spent 12 years in prison after killing someone due to drunk driving. Both men showed to have many things in common, and their conversations flow easily and unforced, covering subjects such as wives and children, Christianity and faith, and the hardness of building a new life from scratch. Helmer Chad Hartigan found is own unhurried and observant look in this earnest, adult, and humanistic story that not for once seemed unrealistic. We can’t say its pace is enthusiastic or vibrant, yet “This Is Martin Bonner” belongs to those unpretentious tales, in which nothing relevant seems to happen, but when better analyzed, we realize there’s a lot of relevant details going on, worthy to dig and think about. Not suitable for all audiences, it can be better absorbed if watched in a non-tiring day.

I Declare War (2012)

Directed by: Jason Lapeyre, Robert Wilson
Country: Canada

Movie Review: It’s almost impossible not to think about “Lord Of The Flies”, “Stand By Me”, or “The Hunger Games” when we watch “I Declare War”. This is a film about the kids' nature, made exclusively with kids, which shouldn’t be seen by kids. We follow a group of them playing war games in the woods, but their uncontrollable thirst for winning and power falls into real torture and physical violence, causing many rules to be ignored. Friendship, jealousy, and loyalty are in the basis of the behaviors, putting leaders and followers of each team in a constant mental and emotional strain. Among rebellions and war strategies, they also spend some time in discussions about God and faith, philosophy, love, and even giving wings to their imagination. It was curious that only one feminine player was present, functioning as seductive element with the goal of disorienting the troops for the sake of her little boyfriend. Despite the intensity of the performances, I didn’t find the story so thought provoking as I was expecting, and gradually became indifferent to what might happen to these antipathetic young teenagers. We already know that kids can be ambitious, competitive, and very mean to one another when they want to. So, what this film has to offer beyond this idea and compared to other similar movies? Absolutely nothing. Production values are solid enough, though.

The Girl From Nowhere (2012)

Directed by: Jean-Claude Brisseau
Country: France

Movie Review: I was never an admirer of Jean Claude Brisseau’s movies, and “The Girl From Nowhere” still didn’t exceed my expectations. Brisseau himself plays the main character, Michel, a retired math professor whose true passions are cinema and philosophy. One day he sees a girl being spanked by a man in the stairs of his apartment building. Letting this homeless drifter named Dora (Virginie Legeay) stay with him until she recovers, will lead to contentment, unusual feelings, and illusions. While Michel talks about an unfinished book, his deceased wife, and philosophical theories about life and religion, Dora shows a tendency for being inquisitive, self-assured, and to have special abilities to deal with the supernatural. As usual in Brisseau’s works, all the conversations and scenes carry a sexual tension; only this time he added a mystic factor that revealed to be the best aspect in the film. The ghosts' spooky appearances were one of the few things worthy of admiration. As for the rest, “The Girl From Nowhere” was never capable to achieve successfully its artistic pretensions, losing itself in devised conversations given in literate, philosophical, or nostalgic forms. All these aspects were carried out with inexpressive performances and a sense of fakeness in the most of its scenes. The film ended up winning the Golden Leopard at Locarno Film Fest.

Wild Girl Waltz (2012)

Directed by: Mark Lewis
Country: USA

Movie Review: Indie spirit is alive in Mark Lewis’ second feature-film, “Wild Girl Waltz”, a comedy that takes us into an uncontrolled street adventure. Tara (Samantha Steinmetz) and Angie (Christina Shipp) are two friends who wanted more than the boredom of their day in a small town, and decided to take some ‘goofy pills’ to cheer life in a better way. Tara’s boyfriend, Brian (Jared Stern), will be their protector for all the afternoon, yet conniving with some of the girls’ pranks until they come back to normal. This low-budget film was shot in a raw way during only eight days; so don’t expect anything elegant or sophisticated. It was based on a simple and realistic plot that tries to involve us in some funny scenes. It’s far from perfection, though; there are issues in light setting, and the dialogues are not so special. The good aspects of “Wild Girl Waltz” are the direction/acting, which conveys the untidiness and freedom absolutely necessary for this kind of tale, as well as some occasional (what a pity they were so few) unexpected situations that gave a jolt to its regular pace. As for the jokes, I can’t say I was much impressed with all of them, but the ones that hit the spot made me laugh heartily. In terms of performances, Christina Shipp stood out among the trio, in a minimally entertaining film that, even with some setbacks, did a lot with so little.

Stories We Tell (2012)

Directed by: Sarah Polley
Country: Canada

Movie Review: After experiencing drama with “Away From Her” and romantic comedy with “Take This Waltz”, filmmaker Sarah Polley makes her debut on documentary with “Stories We Tell”, a very personal film in every sense of the word, since it uncovers a secret of her own family. The film works as a tribute to her mother’s memory, as well as a description of the process that led to her biological father. Narrated with a perfectly articulated voice by Michael Polley (her non-biological father), the film travels to the past, making us know what happened to Sarah’s mother, the genuine and intense actress Diane Polley, now deceased. This documentary, according to its creator, tells a story that had to be told due to its beauty and richness, and we can see it was made with appreciable affection and sensibility. Challenging the truth, interviews were made with everyone who was still alive and wanted to talk about the case, including her dad, half-siblings, her mom's presumed lover, her mom's real lover, friends and confidents. Among recollections, confessions, and revelations, super-8 footage was incorporated to better recreate the story and help us be acquainted with the characters. “Stories We Tell” is a touchy, funny, and incredibly interesting film that was conceived with a praiseworthy courage and high accuracy by a talented filmmaker who has so much to give. Recently this year, Toronto Film Critics Association has considered it the best documentary and best Canadian film of 2012.

The World's End (2013)

Directed by: Edgar Wright
Country: UK

Review: The ones who watched Edgar Wright’s previous comedies certainly know that good humor, lots of energy, and creative plots, mark a constant presence. Therefore, that’s exactly what you get from “The World’s End”, another absurd, revolutionary, and irreverent film, which falls in the same category of “Hot Fuzz” and “Shaun Of The Dead”. The plot follows five friends who get together again in their hometown, Newton Haven, to try what they have failed 20 years ago: finish a pub crawl composed by 12 different pubs in which the last one is called The World’s End. Along the ride towards their goal, they will take the opportunity to see old acquaintances, clarify some past problems, and literally fight the end of the world since some robots created from the DNA of real people had invaded the city. The boisterous scenes of drubbing were mixed with lively conversations under the alcohol effect about whatever. The inveterate drinker Gary King (Simon Pegg, who also co-wrote the story with Wright) headed the troop constituted by the powerful-pissed Andy (Nick Frost), the passionate Steven (Paddy Considine), the wimp Peter (Eddie Marsan), and the considerate Oliver (Martin Freeman). All the cast was great, while the 90’s soundtrack which includes Primal Scream, Soup Dragons, Happy Mondays, and Stone Roses, was delightful. I must confess I didn’t like the ending but that didn’t prevent “The World’s End” from becoming one of the most intense and hilarious comedies of the year.

Sparrows Dance (2012)

Directed by: Noah Buschel
Country: USA

Review: The fourth feature-film written and directed by Noah Buschel is assuredly his most interesting work, once it represents a compelling indie romance with considerable amounts of freshness added. The plot is firmly based on the character of a young actress (Marin Ireland) who lately lives enclosed in a small apartment due to suffer from agoraphobia. And what a curious character she was! Her day consists of routines such as watching TV, order food by phone, peeking through her windows, training on an exercise bike, and occasionally stimulating herself when she hears her neighbors having sex. Despite trying to avoid everyone who might come to her door, one day she was forced to let a plumber in when her toilet overflowed. Wes (Paul Sparks), the plumber, revealed to be attentive and talkative, arising the woman’s curiosity, especially after she finds that he was also a skilled saxophone player. A romance was on sight, and the woman’s need for human contact increases, but how will he handle a relationship with such a strange, complicated woman? Pure, weird, intelligent, and engaging, “Sparrows Dance” gives a new perspective to the romantic genre with delicious details on direction. At night in the bedroom, the couple’s faces illuminated by a blinking red light from an outdoor neon sign, triggers shy, quiet, and intimate conversations, which will lead to the not so innovative but quite rewarding consideration that love changes everything.

Vanishing Waves (2012)

Directed by: Kristina Buozyte
Country: Lithuania / others

Review: “Vanishing Waves” came up from the collaboration on writing between the Lithuanian filmmaker Kristina Buozyte and artistic director Bruno Samper. The pair already had worked together in 2008, when Buozyte released her first feature “The Colectress”. The story is centered on Lukas (Marius Jampolskis), a scientist who volunteers to be part of an experiment that involves a subconscious interaction with a comatose woman named Aurora (Jurga Jutaite). The objective was trying to understand in what emotional state Aurora could be, but Lukas broke the stipulated rule of avoiding physical interaction with the patient. Since the first transfer, Aurora attracted him in such a way that Lukas couldn’t escape to a voluptuous adventure. At the same time that he notices her strong sexual impulses, he also senses her grief and pain. Obsessed with this strange woman, he goes deeper in the experiment, without unveiling to the rest of the investigators what he really sees in those dreams and how much they affect his reality. Psychological tension arises from uncontrollable carnal scenes, making “Vanishing Waves” a hypnotic experience. The score by Peter Von Poehl also does a great job in this aspect, aided by the simple but not less effective visuals, and an interesting cinematography. The cerebral and light sci-fi presented here, makes us guess a favorable future for Buozyte whose creativity was awarded in Karlovy Vary and Neuchatel Film Festivals.

The Butler (2013)

Directed by: Lee Daniels
Country: USA

Review: The real life of Eugene Allen, a butler who worked for the White House for more than 30 years, was the inspiration for this top box-office drama written by Danny Strong and directed by Lee Daniels. Historically significant, the film eventually stumbled in its execution filled with stereotypes, which took the story too far in the sentimental terms. After the trauma concerning his father’s assassination in the 20’s, Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) seems to have found some stability when he was hired to be a butler in the White House in 1957. He served consecutive administrations, starting with the president Eisenhower and finishing with Ronald Reagan (so many bad choices for the actors who played the presidents!), becoming an emblematic employee. But Cecil had a lot to struggle with, starting with his two sons: Louis (David Oyelowo), an important voice of the civil rights movement, and Charlie who would become a victim of the Vietnam War. The support of his wife Gloria (Oprah Winfrey) was fundamental for him to move on, in a country that always had treated the African-American without respect. With a non-rigorous narrative, Daniels’s propensity for the overemotional didn’t produce the same effective results as in “Precious”, and regardless the moral values associated to its story, the film never reached the genuineness needed to provide a staunch satisfaction. Oprah and Oyelowo were never convincing, in opposition to Whitaker who played the butler with assurance and plainness.

Thérèse (2012)

Directed by: Claude Miller
Country: France

Review: Claude Miller’s last film before his death in April 2012, “Therese Desqueyroux” (original title), is far from being a gem on drama but is a completely followable old-fashioned story about the influence of family in the conservative society of 20’s in detriment of individual happiness. Based on François Muriac’s novel, the plot describes the fight for freedom put by Therese Desqueyroux (Audrey Tautou) against her irritating husband Bernard (Gilles Lellouche), after taking into account the case of her best friend and sister-in-law, Anne (Anais Demoustier), who was locked in home when in love with a liberal neighbor of Portuguese origin. She just chose the worst way to do it, disgracing her life and becoming rejected by everyone around her. Using an indolent pace, the story flows emotionless just like its main character, but conveying all the baffling psychological complexities associated to Therese’s behaviors. Audrey Tautou, despite not so much fiery, was able to play accordingly the role of a defiant woman who tried to escape to an inevitable fate by what she thought to be the only possible way. Lellouche was very convincing too in his passion, rigidness, and hypochondria. Another version of this same novel, directed by George Franjus and starring Emanuelle Riva and Philippe Noiret, was released in 1962, presenting considerable better results. Nonetheless, Miller’s goodbye is fair enough to worth a look.

Scenic Route (2013)

Directed by: Kevin Goetz, Michael Goetz
Country: USA

Review: Goetz brothers’ directorial debut was promising enough to make us wonder what will be their next move. “Scenic Route” stars Josh Duhamel, here diverted from the latest minor works he has been involved (“Fire With Fire”, “Safe Haven”), and Dan Fogler who appeared very briefly in the newly released “Europa Report”. The story, written by Kyle Killen - the creator of TV series “Lone Star” and “Awake”, follows two longtime friends, Mitchell (Duhamel) and Carter (Fogler), who get stuck in the middle of a Californian desert after the car they were travelling in has broken down. The unemployed and homeless Carter then takes the opportunity to show his jealousy by starting a very strange conversation about Mitchell’s wife and her influence in the change of their friendship. The confessions of these two dangerous minds, always filled with poignant humor, will lead them to an unforgettable adventure in which their lives will be at stake. The film bestows the proper energy to keep us interested, even considering the portion of absurdity associated to the protagonists’ behaviors. The states of mind change a lot along the story; funny arguments, wild and raging violence, brooding despair, frustration, joy, and ultimately an outstanding finale, make “Scenic Route” a hell of a ride! Now imagine all that, ironically presented beyond the limits of insanity.

Magic Magic (2013)

Directed by: Sebastián Silva
Country: Chile / USA

Review: “Magic Magic” is a psychological thriller directed by Chilean Sebastián Silva, better known for the odd comedy “The Maid” dated from 2009. This time the dark tones didn´t work for me, and everything in “Magic Magic” seemed a bit contrived. Alicia (Juno Temple) is the girl who gets our attention with her constant insomnias, hallucinations, and deliriums. Joining her cousin Sarah and her friends for a vacation’s trip to a Chilean remote place, Alicia starts to show signs of serious disturbances and seems to be detached from reality. Everything gets worse after one of the boys try to hypnotize her, leading to several happenings that will confirm Alicia’s urgent need of help. A very slow starting, where nothing really happens for almost 45 minutes, seemed to have thrown my expectations away. The tension created, never attained its limits, and the scenes seemed too restrained and inconsequent to scare. In a mix of Spanish and English, the film slowly approaches to its terrible ending, a sort of ritual where some villagers will try to purify Alicia’s soul, while the despair takes care of everyone present in the room. Temple’s great performance convinced me of her character’s madness but didn’t absolve Silva from an obtuse plot that didn’t even know what to do with its ending. “Magic Magic” is a totally expendable thriller that lacks nerve.

Kick-Ass 2 (2013)

Directed by: Jeff Wadlow
Country: USA

Review: Juvenile super-hero Kick-Ass arrives once more to the big theaters, this time by the hand of Jeff Wadlow who counted with Matthew Vaughn (director of “Kick Ass” from three years ago) as producer. If the first one didn’t impress me, the second didn’t have much luck either, presenting the clumsiest super-hero of the modern age fighting a league of super-villains with the help of his friends. David (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) decides to return to fight crime but is frustrated to be working alone as Kick-Ass. He will do his best to convince Mindy (Chloe Grace Moretz) to help him in this task as Hit-Girl. “Kick Ass 2” is a total waste of time, just showing action scenes that can be defined as super violent, witless, and clumsy. The plot also uses family relationships as dramatic bait, but without creating any impact or interest. The actors, just like the story, didn’t stand out, despite of the weird characters they were playing, exception made for Olga Kurkolina’s physic, in her debut as Mother Russia. All of the bizarre villains seemed to have come from a freaking Halloween party. Lastly, I just wanted to say something about the humor, which proved to be more pathetic than clever; I remember to have laughed a couple of times, one of which had to do with Eisenhower, the dog. Every single character in this film can aspire to be super-something, but “Kick-Ass 2” is assuredly miles and miles away from being a super-movie. No more sequels of this crap... please!!