April 7 2015 through April 28 2015:
2015 @ the Movies take 40 : “Furious 7” (IMAX) A high-octane meditation on family, loss and memory. The film explores a bold redefinition of the family unit positing that 15 years of turbo-charged glances across tainted windows creates bonds that no power-wrench can break apart. This only rivals with the gripping revelation that amnesia can truly be conquered through the utter obliteration of a four-level parking garage in central L.A. However, nothing will prepare the audience for the arresting metaphorical portrayal of grief as a picnic in formal wear on a sandy beach. Car-enthusiasts with a penchant for the objectified female form quivering in a roar of improbable engines might be surprised! Experienced at Springfield 11 on April 7 with Susie Rodriguez and Kurtis Van Diesel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Yab0sXGEjg
2015 @ the Movies take 41 : “Seymour: An Introduction” A thought-provoking documentary that plays like a zen version of "Whiplash."A soul-searching Ethan Hawke shares the teachings of Seymour Bernstein, a piano genius who gave up on a promising music career to devote his life to teaching his craft, having tea, and precisely folding a hide-a-bed in a one-room apartment. The revenge of art over commerce, what’s not to like? Of course, the first thing that Ethan Hawke has Seymour do is perform in public for actor friends, so we have a reason to buy a ticket to see his documentary. Drat! Karl was right, commerce always wins in the end… Experienced at Moxie Cinema in theater 1 on April 10 with Susie Steinway and Kurtis Key bed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCOM3wMqoHg
2015 @ the Movies take 42 : “The Wrecking Crew” We love legendary artists who conjure wonders. Whether it is a song or a film, the name in big letters on the marquee is the one we want to look up to. This documentary reminds us that, in a lot of cases, the best ideas are the fruit of a collaboration, not a solitary vision. Unfortunately, there is not enough room on the marquee, and polytheism is hard to market. Time to set the story straight and meet the musicians who were really playing the instruments. Experienced at Moxie Cinema on April 11 in theater 1.
2015 @ the Movies take 43 : “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” The first installment felt like a waste of talent: the crème de la crème of British acting dipped in comedic gulab jamun syrup. When I saw the trailer for the “second Best", I thought “not again and now with added Richard Gere!” I still took a chance based a French critique who was only half appalled… Well, this second best sequel sports an unexpected bitter sweet ending that is quite refreshing - thank you Maggie Smith. Use only as a last resort if you are out of Nutella on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Experienced at Regal College Station Stadium 14 in auditorium 9 on April 11.
2015 @ the Movies take 44 : “Danny Collins” A young singer song writer does not receive a 1971 letter from John Lennon and misses the fork in the road that could have saved his musical career from crass commercialism. This catchy pitch is based on actual events and had plenty of a potential for a smart film. However, savvy producers and screenwriters came along and drowned the premise in a thick drama stew that the most seasoned cast cannot navigate: estranged son - check, adult rom-com angle - check, twenty-smothing rom-com angle - check, red car - check, estranged cute grand-daughter with medical condition - check, pregnant doe-eyed daughter in law - check… what next? Leukemia, of courses!! By the end of the film, you’ll be asking yourself why the soundtrack is exclusively made up of Lennon songs… remember? 1971, the letter? Experienced at Wehrenberg Campbell 16 Cine in auditorium14 April 12 with Terry Cannavale.
2015 @ the Movies take 45 : “The Gunman” A perfect $5 bad movie Tuesday contender. This Sean Penn vehicle is based on a French crime novel by acclaimed Jean-Patrick Manchette. On paper that looks intriguing. However, it is helmed by Gallic director Pierre Morel who brought us the original "Taken." As expected, it is downhill from here. The post-colonial political thriller suffers from a total absence of character development. The adaption team must have gone “let’s cut out the boring parts where people talk.” In the end, the most interesting compositions are probably a drunk Javier Bardem and the angry bull during the final corrida scene… Experienced at Regal College Station Stadium 14 in Auditorium 13 on April 14 with Bedroom-gunfight Susie.
2015 @ the Movies take 46 : "Unfriended" Since “The Blair Witch Project”, the found footage concept has been a staple of the horror genre. Sometimes used as a bad excuse for poor directing, it generates boredom and motion sickness more than anything else. This film offers a new approach that we could call “found screen.” During 1hour 22 minutes one fixed camera captures the screen activity of a laptop (a Macbook) in real time. Through a mix a social media platforms, characters interact and the story comes to life. The piece hold true to its form until the very end and requires a multitasking viewer/reader/listener. A lot of the subplots unfold through a competing instant messages and private chats. The frantic typing is very realistic with its broken spelling, and most interestingly, its hesitations and deletions that confronts the character’s real feelings to what they actually post. When the film is an intriguing experiment form-wise, it is plagued by a very stereotypical view of digital natives who are all unredeemable gun-waving bullying sex maniacs. Too bad, the same "found screen" principle helmed by David Robert Mitchell (It Follows )would have great potential. Side note: this film might become a cult classic in 2025 when Spotify, Facebook, Youtube or Skype feel as quaint as Myspace andGoogle Wave. Experienced at Regal College Station Stadium 14 in Auditorium 14 on April 18.
2015 @ the Movies take 47 : “The Return of the Living Dead” (1985) The same year zombie-master George A. Romero released “Day of the Dead.” A good reminder that undead-explotation was already rampant 30 years ago, nothing new. With this fake-quel Dan O’Bannon doesn’t quite reach the Romero level of social commentary, but provides a good reminder of the 1985 wackiness. The guy also wrote the original screenplay for “Alien" so respect. A Mondo Moxie experience in theater 2 on April 18 after dark.
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2015 @ the Movies take 48 : "True Story (film)" Machiavellian manipulation? Unexplained coincidence? Supernatural connection? The film never truly answers these questions and cultivates a deep ambiguity about its characters’ motivations and endgame. That is a brave approach in a movie culture enslaved by the over-explanatory biopic syndrome. By the same token, the film shows the words “True Story” are oxymoronic and should not be used together. The last scene resonates as a twisted echo of the quintessential American line from the 1962 classic The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance : "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” Jonah Hill and James Franco navigate the parts with a refreshing sobriety andShelley's American accent is spot on. Catch it while you can! Experienced at Moxie Cinema in Theater 1 on April 24 with Susie Finkel & Kurtis Short-stop.
2015 @ the Movies take 49 : "Ex Machina" This claustrophobic sci-fi metaphysical thriller plays like a high-tech Twilight Zone episode. Like Her it explores the emergence of the post-human thinking machine. Here the AI, named Ava, is embodied - albeit hollow - but restrained to a prison-like lab. It is a bit metaphorically heavy at times, but Oscar Isaac as a creepily laid back Dionysus is oddly fascinating. Some might find the extreme objectification of the female form disturbing; however, it makes Ava’s resistance to her creator all the more powerful. Experienced at Brenden Theatres and IMAX at the Palms in Auditorium 14 on April 25.
2015 @ the Movies take 50 : "While We're Young" Yes, it is as pleasant and fun as the trailer for a while, and then it takes on a bit more themes than it can chew. Is it about cross-generational friendships, childless middle-age couples, the ethics of documentary filmmaking, or mentoring and creativity? Kind of all that, most of the time… The cast is great and fun to watch, but the lack of focus undercuts the punch of their performances. The problem culminates with the very last scene. It sort of tricks the viewer into believing a super-disappointing normative ending is at play to quickly backtrack, but not really and to top it with a very ambiguous last shot. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for an ambiguous ending. However, sometimes the film needs to have the last laugh and not let the audience hanging… Experienced at Moxie Cinema in theater 2 on April 28 with Susie Darby.
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