• ME & ORSON WELLES
• HARRY BROWN
• THE RED RIDING TRILOGY
• and many more…

Read our reviews to find out which of the following movies you should be renting this weekend: the ‘backstage’ drama Me & Orson Welles, from director Richard Linklater; the vigilante thriller Harry Brown, starring Michael Caine; and/or, the riveting three-part thriller The Red Riding Trilogy.

Credit, then, is due to Richard Linklater for his attempt to portray Welles at the apex of his theatrical fame, during the legendary 1936 staging of ‘Julius Caesar’ for the Mercury Theater. lt was Welles’s idea to present ‘Caesar’ as a harbinger of the fascist movements gaining hold in Europe, as a warning to those who still may have dismissed Hitler as a nuisance, that what was happening in Germany, and elsewhere, was utterly real, and utterly frightening. The beginnings of this production are the backdrop to this charming, if very slight, film, which concerns a young novice, Richard Samuels (Zac Efron, doing his best) who, through sheer luck, is hired by Welles (Christian McKay, in an effective portrayal) to play a small part in the production. Once inside the Mercury, where he is soon smitten by another member, Sonja Jones (Claire Danes), we watch as Richard watches many of the names who would soon become famous either through their own talents (Joseph Cotten), or to their connection to Welles via the Mercury (John Houseman, Norman Lloyd). He swoons a bit at the indifferent Jones, and tags along with Welles when he can.

Much of the action backstage entails the sort of theatrical extravagance that has gotten many a high school drama student beaten up; people trying to outwit, out charm and out seduce the other members of the company. Samuels is a bit of a cipher, which Linklater seems to get very early. While Efron is ostensibly the ‘star’ of the film (likely because it was his name that got this film green lit in the first place), the film is at its best when the camera focuses on Welles, as he bullies his cast, eyes the ladies, and performs in a radio play. A great credit goes to McKay for never allowing his portrayal of Welles to become a caricature; in Tim Robbins’ dreadful Cradle Will Rock, it showed Welles as a lout, and a blowhard, and nothing more.

This film was barely released to theaters last year, then quickly thrown in the garbage by the good people at Warner Brothers, who undoubtedly had a talking dog movie to promote. While it is hardly a lost masterpiece, Me & Orson Welles is a very smart film, similar in look and feel to a mid-period Woody Allen film, small in stature but heartfelt in both its presentation of a time when the American theater presented major works instead of hopeless trivialities, and in its reminder of when artistic ambition was used for the sake of the audience, instead of the investors. – [DVD]

Drama

Rated PG-13

DVD Release Date: 8/31/10

Caine plays an ex-serviceman living in a South London neighborhood where gangs of drug-pushing punks harass, beat and even kill the local citizenry. After they brutally murder his best friend, Caine decides to dispatch them himself, a sympathetic cop (Emily Mortimer) close on his trail.

This is one bleak movie. No one in it is happy, no one ever smiles and the punks are predictably nasty people. I also don’t recall seeing any actual sunshine. It’s either overcast, raining or nighttime. Mortimer walks around in a constant funk, and Caine’s character suffers not one, but two wrenching personal losses. He’s a miserable man.

I didn’t necessarily mind the solemn tone, but it does seem just a tad ridiculous to be so serious when your movie is about a 77-year-old man single-handedly blowing away scumbags. People expecting a proper British drama might get the wrong impression. I mean, this thing is violent. Junkies shoot up and punks get stabbed in the chest and shot in the neck or stomach as CGI blood spurts out.

Again, not complaining, and Caine does solid work, covering a number of emotional bases. He weeps at the loss of those closest to him, interrogates a punk by threatening to blow off his knees and, in the film’s lone light moment, gets to deliver a clever quip to the lowlife (Jack O’Connell, perfectly scummy) from whom he tries to buy a gun.

As well director Daniel Barber proves very capable in establishing mood, like how Caine moves zombie-like through his morning routine. And he generates superb suspense when Caine confronts a couple punks in the public underpass where the gangs congregate. Speaking of which, he makes that underpass–the film’s what’s-wrong-with-kids-today symbol–seem truly forbidding.

All in all, it’s not nearly as enjoyable as Gran Torino, but still makes for a respectable two hours. It wraps up with a fiery finale that features not only a weak plot twist, but a chance to laugh at Mortimer’s ridiculous late-in-the-game plea to Caine to stop the killing. If she’s what the British police force considers to be one of its smarter members, it’s no wonder Alfie started packing heat. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Crime/Drama/Thriller

Rated R

DVD Release Date: 8/31/10

This, in a nutshell, is the philosophy of novelist David Peace, a native of Yorkshire in England, whose series of books about crime and corruption are the base for this excellent trilogy, originally broadcast on the BBC. Peace is a progenitor of pulp, and obvious student of American crime writers Jim Thompson and James Ellroy. He has made a study of historical fiction, much like Ellroy, in taking true events from the past and making them his own. Fortunately, like those two, he also understands that the true nature of noir is, in fact, a nasty business mandating that, once the story is established, the downward spiral must commence soon after. His series of books, which make up the skeleton of Red Riding, are quick and to the point, consumed with sex and violence and written almost entirely as internal dialogues in an amphetamine rap. The challenge for writer Tony Grisoni in adapting these books into a plausible narrative was immense; as impressive as Peace’s novels are, it could be argued that Grisoni’s efforts are even more so, as he has effectively torn apart and reassembled the books into a compelling whole, crafting a haunting and brutal three part series about police corruption, murder, and the secrets a city will keep to maintain order.

I’m loath to give away much in the way of detail, as the trilogy needs to be experienced from the very beginning, in 1974, through to 1980, and finally finishing with 1983. Let it be known that the fulcrum of the story is a murdered child, a ten-year-old girl, who is found in a dump with swan’s wings crudely sewn into her back, which is the latest in a series of abductions which have plagued the city. The series begins as Eddie Dunford (Andrew Garfield), a son of York, returns to Leeds from London to work as a crime reporter on the local paper. He gets himself involved with the case, despite the efforts of both his editor and the police to keep him in the dark. A fellow reporter on the paper soon clues him in on the facts about life in Leeds; the local constabulary are utterly corrupt, using members of the force as thugs, and are in the pocket of one of the cities leading businessmen, John Dawson (Sean Bean), whose money speaks quite loudly.

The 1980 story drops us into the true story of the Yorkshire Ripper, a serial killer who the Leeds police have been unable to find after thirteen murders. A Manchester cop, Peter Hunter (Paddy Considine), is sent to Yorkshire to aid in the investigation, bringing with him two other officers, and also to quietly try to learn why it has taken the police so long to catch the killer. A particular murder, long attributed to the Ripper, catches Hunter’s eye, which leads him to suspect there is something afoot in the Leeds police department. Violence, arson and blackmail are all the tools of the trade of the Yorkshire force, which is united under the maxim “This is the North. We do what we want!”

Finally, 1983 shows the snake eating its tail, as another child abduction leads to intertwining investigations, one by Leeds detective Maurice Jobson (David Morrissey) who was on the original case, and one by local lawyer John Piggott (Mark Addy), who finds himself representing both the long-convicted Michael Myshkin and the now-suspected Leonard Cole. Guilt drives them both to discover the truth behind these child murders, and to finally bring the killers to justice.

There are a number of plot threads, characters and flashbacks which tie together each of the films, but I can’t possibly detail them all, nor should I. Suffice it to say that there are slags, corrupt cops, pornography, a medium, hard-drinking reporters, adulterers, murderers, grieving mothers and a young rent boy who seems to know everyone’s secrets. The acting is terrific throughout, from a number of faces familiar to viewers of British cinema and television. The leads in each film are all top-notch, with Garfield showing an impressive charisma akin to Ewan McGregor’s early days that would hopefully lead to better things, although the fact that he is playing Spider-Man next is very disappointing. Considine, Morrissey and Addy are all superb, and aided by Rebecca Hall, Sean Harris, Warren Clarke, Jim Carter, Daniel Mays and many others in providing small but indelibly portrayed characters. The three directors (Julian Jarrold, Anand Tucker and Man on Wire Oscar winner James Marsh) all present a dark, grimy menace to the proceedings, which offer impressive period pieces without relying on stylistic clichés. A word of warning, however. The dialogue is true to its surroundings of northern England, and at times it can be difficult to make out the dialect. As odd as it may sound, even for a series of films in English, the subtitles option may be a way to go.

Noir is a nasty business. Each of these films is dark, often cruel, violent and despairing. Which is how these things are supposed to go, you know. Much like the recent The Square, an Australian film which lays bare the bones of aberrant human behavior in exquisite detail, Red Riding offers little hope in the caverns of human nature, and remembers that it is the horror of man which should frighten us the most. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Crime/Drama/Mystery/Thriller

Unrated

DVD Release Date: 8/31/10

Want to watch something interesting, informative and maybe even inspiring? Many of our recent documentary releases fit that bill–here’s what’s new to our rental shelves this month:

The Age of Stupid (2009) – A future archivist looks at old footage from the year 2008 to understand why humankind failed to address climate change. – [imdb]

An American Journey: In Robert Frank’s Footsteps (2008) – Filmmaker Philippe Seclier traces legendary photographer Robert Frank’s road trips across the continent, searching out the same small-town tableaus and vistas on vacant highways that inspired the photographers intimate and moving images of isolation, loneliness, and division by race and class. – [imdb]

Crumb (1994) – Terry Zwigoff’s landmark 1995 film is an intimate documentary portrait of underground artist Robert Crumb, whose unique drawing style and sexually and racially provocative subject matter have made him a household name in popular American art. – [imdb] – Criterion Collection!

The Dungeon Masters (2008) - Follows three Dungeons and Dragons gamers living in unglamorous corners of lower-middle-class America. – [imdb]

Elvis on Tour (1972) – Concert footage and offstage documentary of singer Elvis Presley. – [imdb]

The Jeff Koons Show (2004-TV) – A documentary on the life and work of artist Jeff Koons, told through the perspective of Koons himself, curators, gallerists, and fellow artists (Chuck Close, Julian Schnabel, etc.). – [imdb]

Joan Baez: How Sweet the Sound (2009) – In the first comprehensive documentary to chronicle the private life and public career of Joan Baez, How Sweet The Sound examines her history as a recording artist and performer as well as her remarkable journey as the conscience of a generation. – [allmovie]

Legends of the Canyon (2009) – The story of the advent of rock music spawned in the garden of the Hollywood Hills, Laurel Canyon, including Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Mamas and the Papas, Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt and many other great artists of the era. – [allmovie]

Louie Bluie (1985) – A documentary about the obscure country blues musician and idiosyncratic visual artist Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong, member of the last known black string band in America. From director Terry Zwigoff. – [imdb] – Criterion Collection!

Off and Running (2009) - An intimate and earnest examination of race, gender identity, and the definition of “family,” this sociological documentary chronicle filters said themes through the eyes of Avery Klein-Cloud, an intelligent and generally well-adjusted teenager from Brooklyn with decidedly unusual circumstances. – [imdb]

Tapped (2009) – Examines the role of the bottled water industry and its effects on our health, climate change, pollution, and our reliance on oil. – [imdb]

The Thorn in the Heart (2009) – Michel Gondry chronicles the life of Gondry family matriarch, his aunt Suzette Gondry, and her relationship with her son, Jean-Yves. (France) – [imdb]

Wade in the Water, Children (2007) -  The children of New Orleans’ crime-ridden Central City neighborhood offer viewers an illuminating portrait of urban youth in crisis with this documentary that shows a side of the city that adults are loathe to discuss, and film crews are terrified to penetrate. – [imdb]

Water Wars (2009) – This timely documentary uncovers critical water issues facing humanity. – [imdb]

Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg (2009) - A documentary that explores the wonderful cultural significance of a creative, energetic Jewish woman, Gertrude Berg, and how her vision and drive broke cultural boundaries in the 1930s and beyond. [imdb]

• CITY ISLAND
• THE BACK-UP PLAN
• THE SQUARE
• SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD
• and many more…

Sometimes good things come in small packages, which in this case is true of a few smaller independent films out this week on DVD. Read our reviews below to find out more about: the warm and witty comedy City Island, the romantic comedy The Back-Up Plan, the Australian thriller The Square, and the sixth zombie flick from George Romero, Survival of the Dead. And, with the Emmy Awards coming up this weekend, find out what TV shows you should catch up with in our ‘Emmys on DVD‘ feature; a good place to start is with Lost: Season 6, available this week on DVD and Blu-Ray!

Andy Garcia

Garcia’s character, Vince Rizzo, and his family, consisting of domineering wife (Julianna Margulies), daughter-who-unbeknownst-to-the-rest-of-the-family-is-a-stripper (Dominik García-Lorido), and son-with-a-sexual-hang-up (Ezra Miller), are all dissatisfied and a bit lost in their lives (who isn’t?). Vince is so petrified by his wife’s constant haranguing, he can’t even tell her of his acting aspirations, much less the acting class he must sneak off to regularly. On top of this, his acting teacher, played by Alan Arkin, is of the old, old school of acting, and believes that Marlon Brando was a mumbler who didn’t know how to act, i.e., read the lines cleanly. This is obviously anathema to Vince, who not only loves Brando, but is of the loud Bronx school of self-expression himself. When Vince goes to a Martin Scorsese casting call, he must deal with both sides of the acting coin.

And speaking of acting methods, I initially bridled when hit not only with the gale force of the Bronx accents, but also the sheer lung capacity with which they were delivered. However, as I grew accustomed to it, it seemed much more natural to the environment and to the characters involved. If they had all been genteel, or even just plain old New Yorkers, they really wouldn’t have fit the milieu or the striving of the Bronx lower-middle-class.

As someone I know said recently, all the really good films these days are so depressing. Well perhaps so, but herein lies a remedy: City Island – a well-acted charmer, sure to please. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Comedy/Drama

Rated PG-13

DVD Release Date: 8/26/10

This ain’t exactly groundbreaking. It feels like a movie made in the 90’s when single women having children was a thing; it’s like Look Who’s Talking without the adorable Bruce Willis baby. Jenny from the block is tolerable as the whiny/codependent (read: strong) single woman, and Alex O’Loughlin is somewhat better as the farmer who spends all of his free time in the city when he’s not going to night school.

But they both pale in comparison to the secondary players. Linda Lavin is good as the Grandmother, Michaela Watkins is funny as the best friend. Even Tom Bosley, who must have been summoned by some sort of SAG seance, is a more interesting character than either of the leads.

Doesn’t sound very positive right? I almost turned it off after half an hour, but I didn’t and I started to like the movie. All because of one very special star, or should I say three.

JLo’s paraplegic dog Nuts is the real star of the show. Played by three Boston terriers, Nubbins, Nip and Tuck, he has the most soul of any of the characters. He doesn’t do much; at one point he eats a pregnancy test, then coughs up the result. But he doesn’t have to do much, he is a dog in a wheelchair.

To sum up, JLo is ok, O’Loughlin is better. Everyone else, better still. Or to put it another way, come for the awkward comedy, stay for the disabled puppy. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

Comedy/Romance

Rated PG-13

DVD Release Date: 8/26/10