Ron Wilkinson Liza Johnson’s narrative fiction retelling of the White House meeting of The King of Rock Elvis Presley with President Richard Nixon packs the most entertainment per ounce of any film this year. It is an exploration into what did happen, and what might have happened, during a meeting of the two most opposite people one
Following on the heels of Guy Hibbert’s screenplay for Eye in the Sky (directed by Gavin Hood and starring Helen Mirren) this riveting documentary is the best look to date at drone warfare. Many Americans have been led to believe that drone surveillance and missile attacks are precision killings. Although they may represent precision bombing,
Vincent Lindon uncorks a spectacular, if understated, performance in writer/director Stéphane Brizé’s essay on the present day working class. The screenplay, co-written by Olivier Gorce, features Lindon as Thierry Taugourdeau, an unemployed / underemployed man trying to support a family. Lindon and his wife and child are remarkable in their lack of moral flaws. Although
Breakout director Ben Falcone teams up with Oscar nominated Melissa McCarthy (“Bridesmaids,” “Spy”) to produce a geyser of belly laughs. If you saw “Bridesmaids” and thought it was gross do not bother to take in this pratfall-fest of unbridled shock lines. If you saw the beauty of taking the crud out of crudity and the
Writer/director Gabriel Mascaro has created a great film in Neon Bull (Boi Neon). It is a movie with the breath taking simplicity and courage of Charles Burnett’s “Killer of Sheep” combined with the flabbergasting scope of “Mondo Kani.” It works on so many levels it is perplexing to see how such frantic complexity can be
Emerging Writer/director Joachim Trier’s (co-written with Eskil Vogt) family drama has a lot of content, if you are willing to work for it. Dealing with a sullen teenager as a lead has never been easy. Although Devin Druid does a good job with that role, his character Conrad Reed lacks development. The first few scenes
In Demolition Jake Gyllenhaal puts out a remarkable performance as bereaved executive Davis Mitchell looking for relief when there is none in site. Driven to the edge of insanity by the sudden death of his wife, we witness his breakdown. Actually, we witness his breakdown in spades. Unlike other on-screen insanities, he does not melt
Michael Shannon does the heavy lifting in Jeff Nichols’ sci-fi yarn of Alton (Jaeden Lieberher), a child with peculiar abilities. Nominated for the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, Nichols is racking up an enviable record of awards with only his first four films. The smartest thing Nichols does in making this film a
Zev Guttman is a man on a mission, but suffering such severe dementia at an advanced age he can hardly remember what it is. Guided by a written letter, he relies on those around him to refresh his memory. The memories are those of his family killed by the Nazi SS in the death
Helen Mirren stars in director Gavin Hood’s examination of the people who fight wars and the toll the fight takes on them. Appearing to be a war thriller featuring high tech drone aircraft, Guy Hibbert’s screenplay is actually a surgically accurate examination of the toll this new brand of warfare takes on its soldiers. The