Gifted

Review by Joseph Anthony

1997’s GOOD WILL HUNTING was the story of a genius with a tragic backstory played by Matt Damon. His future was the source of anxiety for those around him. While the well-meaning psychologist - played by Robin Williams - only wants Damon’s character to find happiness, the M.I.T. professor - played by Stellan Skarsgård - wants Damon to become a great academic mind and achieve full potential. And then there’s a motley crew that surrounds Damon.

GIFTED replaces Damon with a brilliant 6 year old girl, Mary (Mckenna Grace). Robin Williams is replaced with a caring Uncle, Frank (Chris Evans). Rather than Skarsgård, we have another M.I.T. academic (this time it’s Grandmother Evelyn played by Lindsay Duncan). Instead of a motley crew, Mary has support from loving neighbor Roberta (Octavia Spencer), school-teacher Bonnie (Jenny Slate) and the most adorable one-eyed cat, Fred.

The Idol (now available on home video and streaming on Netflix)

Review by Joseph Anthony

Two-time Academy Award nominated director Hany Abu-Assad (PARADISE NOW, OMAR) returns with THE IDOL, a fictionalized retelling of the true story of Mohammed Assaf, a man who went from being a Palestinian refugee to a world renowned singer.

At it’s start, THE IDOL tells the tale of two young dreamers in a refugee camp in Gaza: a brother, Mohammed, and sister, Nour, who set out to start a band with the hopes of one day playing in Cairo. Obtaining instruments is the first hurdle for the musical hopefuls, but certainly not the last. Because of Mohammed’s incredible voice, it doesn’t take long for their community to take an interest. Their first gigs, despite parental concern, are at local weddings. Nour (guitarist) believes they are destined for much bigger things and scoffs at her brother and bandmates low expectations. She serves as the motivation for her brother to work harder.  

31 Days of Halloween 2016: Housebound (now available on Netflix)

[31 Days of Halloween 2016: HOUSEBOUND is now available on home video, VOD, and Netflix instant.]

Review by Joseph Anthony

Once in a while you end up picking a movie on Netflix to watch with zero expectations, and end up having a blast. HOUSEBOUND, the 2014 New Zealand film written and directed by Gary Johnstone is one such film.

HOUSEBOUND is a hybrid of horror and comedy, heavy on the comedy, even if the movie begins like a heist film. At the start Kylie Bucknell (Morgana O’Reilly) unsuccessfully attempts to rob an ATM. She has had her fair share of trouble throughout her life, but this time she is placed under house arrest. This means living with her happy-go lucky mother Miriam, hilariously played by Rima Te Wiata, and her stepfather. Eight months of house arrest wouldn’t be so bad, but getting stuck with her mom and stepfather seems like pure hell for her. It’s clear there is a strain on the relationship between mother and daughter. Kylie seems particularly annoyed with her mom’s insistence that their home is haunted. Miriam even calls local radio stations to talk about it.  

Life, Animated (opens in Cleveland 7/22 at the Cedar Lee Theatre)

[LIFE, ANIMATED opens in Cleveland on Friday July 22nd exclusively at the Cedar Lee Theatre.]

Review by Joseph Anthony

A good documentary can often feel more rewarding than a scripted film. There’s a sense of voyeurism when looking in on a life or subject you’d never get to see otherwise. Where every moment of a major motion picture is scripted and edited to perfection, a powerful documentary is spontaneous, real, and informative. LIFE, ANIMATED is all of those things and more. It is a celebration of film and those who love film. It is the celebration of autism and those incredible people who overcome the limitations of a disability.  

Finding Dory

Review by Joseph Anthony

Our favorite fishes, Nemo, Marlin, and Dory, are all back in FINDING DORY, the sequel to the now beloved Pixar film FINDING NEMO. Last time around Marlin (Albert Brooks), Nemo’s dad, had lost his son in the Pacific Ocean. His journey to find Nemo led him to encounter many other delightful characters, including a short-term memory loss afflicted blue tang fish, Dory (Ellen DeGeneres).

Luckily for us, Marlin and Dory found little Nemo. As we revisit the gang, everyone is happily living together. Dory still can’t remember a whole lot, but she knows her new family of Marlin and Nemo. As she enjoys her new home, she starts having flashbacks to her childhood with her mom Jenny (Diane Keaton) and dad Charlie (Eugene Levy). Dory starts longing not only to remember more about her parents and childhood, but wants to set out to find them.

Midnight Special

Review by Joseph Anthony

Recent press about MIDNIGHT SPECIAL has drawn comparisons to Steven Spielberg’s earlier sci-fi work. While those comparisons are valid, MIDNIGHT SPECIAL is unmistakably a Jeff Nichols’ film. SPECIAL has the grandeur and emotional tidings of a Spielberg flick, but like his three previous efforts (SHOTGUN STORIES, TAKE SHELTER, MUD), Nichols brings a southern charm that adds calm and charisma to his work.

2013’s MUD was one of my favorites of that year. In my review for that film, I described it as being “funny, tense, romantic, dramatic and even has some action. And while it’s packed with things we love in film, it still moves at a leisurely pace, telling us the story it wants to tell.” With the exception of romance, this description is just as appropriate for MIDNIGHT SPECIAL.

Hello, My Name Is Doris (opens in Cleveland 3/18 at the Cedar Lee Theatre)

[HELLO MY NAME IS DORIS opens in Cleveland on Friday March 18th exclusively at the Cedar Lee Theatre.]

Review by Joseph Anthony

HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS feels like an accomplishment. Perhaps because DORIS feels like several films wrapped in one. A comedy, a fantasy, a drama, an indie flick, a coming of age story. Not only does it operate under all those categories, it operates functionally and quite successfully.

When DORIS begins, our title character, Doris Miller played by Sally Field, has lost her mother. Much of her life to this point has been dedicated to her mom for whom she has given up her own social and emotional needs to care for. Doris looks like a stereotypical cat lady, with a bit more flare. She has a few friends, an accounting job at a fashion firm in New York City, and a brother (Stephen Root) who is worried about her hoarding habits. He and his wife also want her to move out of their childhood home (in part to make money off the house). She takes the ferry from Staten Island each day to work. It is clear that Doris isn’t one for change.

Ranking the Coen Brothers 17 Films

 This last week saw the release of HAIL, CAESAR!, the 17th feature film from brothers Joel and Ethan Coen. For the last 32 years, the Coen brothers have assembled a filmography that includes every type of genre there is. Their output is compelling, creating work that is accessible to the masses while never compromising its quality to do so (save for a film or two). The brothers make movies in and about America. Most share the narrative: the folly of man, particularly in the pursuit of greed. Underneath that narrative simmers humor, tragedy, gripping dialogue and beautiful photography to create an experience unique to the Coen’s.

Ranking their films (not including their wonderful short-film in PARIS JE T’AIME) is a fool's errand. Of their 17 films, 10 can be considered classics or masterpieces (not to use the term lightly), and the rest an assortment of fine filmmaking. Often, mood determines the Coen brothers film I need that day, or maybe that year. The past decade of Coen brother releases still feel fresh. The Coen’s produce work that grows and matures on you. They give you so much to think about that there is no right way of compiling this list (in the pursuit of ranking their films, you’re sure to offend a few). Having seen HAIL, CAESAR! only a day ago, its inclusion is perhaps absurd. But like any good Coen brothers character, I’ll proceed on despite my own absurdity.

Joseph Anthony's Favorites of 2015

2015 was a very, very good year in film, and though I haven’t seen everything (CAROL, THE REVENANT come to mind), the list of good films can go on and on (BROOKLYN, SPOTLIGHT, THE HATEFUL EIGHT, SICARIO, 45 YEARS, CALL ME LUCKY, STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON, THE END OF THE TOUR, THE GIFT, BRIDGE OF SPIES, THE MARTIAN, SHAUN THE SHEEP, AMY). That's a hell of a list of films, and yet they're not part of my top 10. It is a year where I could have just as easily made a top 20. Even more surprising is that many of the worthy titles this year weren't just little indie gems that the Oscars bring to light, but star-studded, big budget Hollywood events.

2015 is not a year with a surplus of classics, but one of the most competent years in recent memory. The scope of films is also refreshing. Horror, sci-fi, westerns, comedies, biopics, documentaries, sports, animation, low and big budget all stand side by side with a range of movies to offer.  

Here’s to hoping 2016 can follow it up.

31 Days of Halloween 2015: Almost Mercy (now on video and Netflix instant)

[31 Days of Halloween 2015: ALMOST MERCY is now available on DVD, Blu Ray, On Demand, and Netflix Instant.]

Review by Joseph Anthony

*Note: As with last year’s 31 Days of Halloween marathon of horror movie reviews, we’ll be diving deep into the new release section looking for modern horror fare, hoping for the best, but frankly expecting the worst.*

ALMOST MERCY is the story of two kids in suburbia who find friendship in each other - at least that’s what it thinks it is. Emily (Danielle Guldin), our main character and new kid in town Jackson (Jesse Dufault) become friends the instant they kill a bird together. Emily and Jackson hate everything except each other. Emily in her opening narration immediately refers to the world as a “shit hole.” These sentiments reflect the tone of the entire film.  

Both Emily and Jackson are outcasts subjected to daily ridicule and bullying from kids at school. They endure days with seemingly the worst school staff on Earth and then go home to neglectful parents. Jackson in particular is victim to the absolute worst in society, the movie suggests that he may have been a victim of molestation at the hands of the priest.

Black Mass

Review by Joseph Anthony

James “Whitey” Bulger is a bad man. Murder, extortion, narcotics and money laundering are just part of his rap sheet. For decades (when he wasn’t doing time at Alcatraz), Bulger was running the south side of Boston under the nose of the Italian mob. Getting drugs into the hands of Boston’s youth, exporting illegal arms to the people’s rebellion in Ireland, and killing anyone who might set off his sensitive paranoia, all while eluding capture by the FBI. Perhaps though, as BLACK MASS points out, eluding is the wrong word.

BLACK MASS tells us two tales over the course of three decades: one of Bulger’s activities, and the other of corruption within the FBI. Federal agent John Connolly, a childhood friend of Bulger, believes loyalty is everything - even if your job title requires arresting guys like Bulger. Connolly convinces his colleagues at the FBI to use Bulger as an informant; the FBI turns a blind eye to Bulger’s dealings in exchange for information that would help take down his enemy, the Italian mob.  Connolly is intoxicated by Bulger’s acceptance, something not easily won, and Connolly’s corruption within the bureau allows Bulger to do his worst.

No Escape

Review by Joseph Anthony

Enjoying the film NO ESCAPE depends on what you go to the movies for. The beauty of film is that each one offers a unique experience for each audience member. Like any form of art, it speaks to you or it doesn’t. NO ESCAPE is a unique experience, it just depends if it’s the one you want to have.

When the film opens, we are in the midst of a coup in an unnamed Southeastern Asian country (we know we’re near Vietnam, so it’s probable we’re in either Laos or Cambodia). A rebel group has risen up and removed the government in power. As the coup unfolds, a family of four from Austin, Texas is mid-flight, permanently relocating to our country in turmoil.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Review by Joseph Anthony

ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL feels so familiar. It’s as if Wes Anderson’s spirit and Michel Gondry’s BE KIND, REWIND met up with THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER and THE FAULT IN OUR STARS. That is to say, ME AND EARL feels like a hybrid of a quirky art film and an accessible indie teen film.

The “Me” in ME AND EARL is Greg (Thomas Mann), a high schooler who stays on the outskirts of high school subgroups – but in everyone’s good graces. He can be creative, intellectual, high-spirited, melancholy, whatever the situation dictates. Greg is happy to not call anyone his friend, while at the same getting along with everyone.

Spy

Review by Joseph Anthony

Four years ago, actress Melissa McCarthy and director Paul Feig worked together on the hugely successful comedy BRIDESMAIDS, a film that reestablished the female led Hollywood comedy. Then two years later, they teamed up again for THE HEAT - a weaker comedic effort in my estimation, though still popular among audiences. This year they bring us SPY, their third, and perhaps, strongest outing to date.

In SPY, Melissa McCarthy plays Susan Cooper, a CIA analyst. Sitting behind a computer, Cooper serves as the eyes and ears for the CIA’s leading spy, Bradley Fine (Judd Law). Fine, whose last name serves up a great deal of puns, is a James Bond-type figure. Cooper, who is self-degrading and aware of the physical differences between herself and Agent Fine, is head over heels for him. When Fine’s European mission to prevent a nuclear weapon from ending up in the wrong hands goes off the rails, Cooper volunteers to go overseas as an unexpected agent.

Unfriended

Review by Joseph Anthony

The tagline of UNFRIENDED is “If you sign off, you die!” If that doesn’t sound appealing to you then you may know right away that this might not be your kind of thing.

The setup and premise are simple: The movie plays out entirely on the computer screen of our lead, Blaire (Shelley Hennig, OUIJA), a high school girl who is dating her Skype buddy, Mitch (Moses Jacob Storm).  All plot details are revealed to the audience through Skype, iMessage, Facebook, Gmail, YouTube and an assortment of other sites. If you are unfamiliar with online jargon and websites geared to teens and young adults, it may be difficult to keep up at times.  

Woman In Gold

Review by Joseph Anthony

WOMAN IN GOLD presents the true story of Maria Altman (Helen Mirren), a Jewish Austrian who fled Vienna as the Nazi’s took control. Austria, overwhelmed by the Nazi invasion, saw the reign of terror against the Jewish population begin. As we now know, Nazi’s pillaged the country stealing art and personal belongings as they went. Gustav Klimt’s masterpiece painting Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I – a portrait of Maria’s beloved aunt – was stolen from her family, along with many of their most cherished possessions.

The masterpiece hung in the Austrian State Gallery for decades.

Get Hard

Review by Joseph Anthony

GET HARD’s premise is that of a wealthy banker – James King (Will Farrell) – sentenced to maximum-security prison for fraud. With 30 days to get his affairs in order before lock-up, he hires the man who washes his car – Darnell Lewis (Kevin Hart) – to get him prepared for life on the inside.

The entire premise is built on King’s racist assumption that because Lewis is black, he has been to jail. It’s not subtle, there’s a whole scene dedicated to the statistics of African American incarceration. But Lewis has not been to jail, he doesn’t have so much as a parking ticket on his record. While this is part of a larger plot to paint King in the most unlikable light possible, it’s worth pointing out because this entire movie is based on racial biases and pre-conceived notions about class, race and sexual orientation. But even for two skilled comics, boundaries are pushed beyond taboo territory and well into tawdry. For instance, using a trip to a gay bar to prepare for being attacked in prison. There are too many “don’t drop the soap”-type jokes to recall – even if I wished to remember.

McFarland USA

Review by Joseph Anthony

It’s not a groundbreaking premise: hard-nose coach with a heart of gold leads rag tag crew of athletes to victory. But MCFARLAND USA is not stale either. It is not common, for instance, to see a feature focused on Latin American culture with a mostly Latino cast. And I can’t remember the last time I saw a movie about cross country running.

Most interesting is the true story at the root of this movie, about a teacher named Jim White (played by Kevin Costner). While teaching P.E. in McFarland, a poor town in California, White spotted natural abilities in his students. Children of immigrants, and field workers, the students worked the fields in the morning, went to school during the day and would still be running a near-5-minute mile before sundown. 

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

Review by Joseph Anthony

For sixteen years, a yellow sponge named Bob who lives in a pineapple under the sea, has been a part of children’s culture (and secretly making adults laugh at the same time). Now SpongeBob SquarePants is back in his second motion picture – as weird and fun as ever.

What’s nice about SpongeBob is that once you’ve seen one episode, you know whether or not it’s your cup of tea. For fans, the franchise has not only maintained its quality, but it has become more comfortable in its spongy skin. In THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE:  SPONGE OUT OF WATER, the whole Bikini Bottom gang is back, led by Patrick Star (Bill Fagerbakke), Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown), Squidward (Rodger Bumpass), Plankton (Mr. Lawrence), Sandy Cheeks (Carolyn Lawrence), and of course SpongeBob himself (Tom Kenny).

Unbroken

Review by Joseph Anthony

There has never been a shortage of World War II stories coming out of Hollywood – PATTON tearing through the scenery of Africa, a rescue mission in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, the weight of the Holocaust in SCHINDLER’S LIST, or the beaches of the Pacific Theater in LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA (the list goes on).  This year, Angelina Jolie directs the true story of Louis Zamperini in UNBROKEN, based on Laura Hillenbrand’s 2010 novel of the same name.

Zamperini’s story is absolutely incredible, the kind of story that has to be told. He is inspiring, strong, and – though he is of Italian descent – oozes the American spirit. Zamperini was raised in Torrance, California with his Italian family where he is bullied because of his heritage. As a result, he embraces a loner lifestyle. Eventually Zamperini turns his anger into fuel, going on to be one of the best high school track runners in the country and eventually participating in the Olympics in Germany.