The Reel World

This grouping from Film Movement has been my favorite to date. The theme that ties these films together is what I would label as “art as process.” Each film revolves around the philosophies of making, practicing, refining, and reflecting upon one’s own art. Featuring one narrative and two documentaries, this grouping really foregrounds the importance of the messiness when it comes to process. In order to be a true artist, a true expert in your craft, you can’t be afraid to get messy: to fail before persevering. My Art, The Paris Opera, and Conduct! Every Move Counts each share an appreciation for failure and the seeds of success it plants within aspiring artists, both young and old.

First in the lineup, My Art, is a love letter to the cinema and the overall process of art. Written, directed, and starring Laurie Simmons, the film feels somewhat autobiographical. Perhaps the character, Ellie (played by Simmons), may not be an exact replica of Simmons, but their likeness in age and the film’s message of struggling to maintain relevance in an art scene offer what I would like to consider a personal touch. The way in which Ellie refines her work is by recreating classic films that star herself and two other actors nearing her age, with an old video camera. While I didn’t really fall in love with the film given its pacing, I couldn’t stop thinking about the implications that Simmons puts forward with this simple narrative: the naïve exploration of “new art” through an unconscious use of aging media. For example, Ellie is an elderly woman recreating films that inspired her to become an artist when she was young, but now she returns to that nostalgic feeling with older “new” technology in order to record it (digital video has largely replaced film in many cases, but the digital video camera she is using is old and struggling to find its place, just like her character). So much of the film plays upon this tension that it propels the audience through the pockets of narrative that seem to lag.

So Negative excellently exemplifies the importance of respecting a person privacy as our main character finds himself inadvertently drawn into a world of spies and drug cartel all thanks to the act of snapping a simple photo. Katia Winter and Simon Quarterman star as this duo thrown together and forced to rely on one another to survive. This thriller takes a minute to build traction, but still manages to entertain. However, winter tends to be very monotone and soft-spoken, so you will need to have to volume up to catch some of her dialogue.

All he did was take her picture. This seemingly innocent act, brings Hollis (Simon Quarterman) more grief then could have ever imagined, as later that night the subject of his intrigue shows up at his apartment. Her name is Natalie (Katia Winter) and she is a former MI-5 operative in the process of going into hiding, and she can’t afford to have photographic evidence of her presence floating around. She merely went to retrieve the proof, she anticipated she would have to be a bit forceful to get it back. However, she did not expect the people hunting her to locate her so quickly.

"A long time ago in a galaxy far far away..."

Yes, those lines open this Star Wars story, because the filmmakers want to be sure you know what you're watching. This is Star Wars. Just in case there was anyone at all in the audience who had no idea they just bought a ticket to Star Wars. If he were dead, George Lucas would be rolling over in his grave. Instead, maybe he's just having some restless nights with little sleep. It is Star Wars. And that means there will be a droid as a main character, space battles, and some good old fashioned one-reel-serial-days adventure. It's a heck of a visual amusement park ride, and the film will certainly entertain. But I have to open by saying it is my least favorite of the Disney Star Wars films to date.

"So dark. You sure you're not from the DC universe?” 

I've said many times in these pages that expectations can kill. That might have been more true for Deadpool 2 than any other film I've seen since the re-launch of Star Wars. The first movie didn't push boundaries. It obliterated the boundaries and kept on going. Fans had certainly been ripe for a raunchy R-rated superhero film, and the box office for Deadpool certainly proved that out by bringing in nearly a half a billion bucks. For a superhero film that might seem like small change, but for what was essentially a comedy, it was awesome money and demanded a sequel before the first run was over at the multiplexes. The problem is that raunchy comedies, like superhero films, share the deadly expectation curse. Rarely does a comedy film sequel live up to those expectations, and if you're anybody but Marvel, it doesn't happen often in the superhero genre either. If all of this sounds like it's leading up to a death knell for Deadpool 2, you're right. It does sound that way. Fortunately for us Deadpool 2 manages to escape its fated demise and not only work as well as the first film; Deadpool 2 is better.

It’s an actioner with good special effects, and the setting for the flick is outstanding, but Breaking In is just another robbery-gone-bad film at the hands of a very upset mother.  Much like Kidnap where Halle Berry goes berserk because her son gets taken when her car is stolen, here Gabrielle Union turns into a determined killer mom to get her children free from robbers. Unfortunately there’ve been several movies with a similar plot, but in case you haven’t seen one, this movie should keep you on your toes.

Due to the recent death of her estranged father, Shaun Russell (Gabrielle Union) gathers up her children Jasmine (Ajiona Alexus), a teen, and Glover (Seth Carr), a pre-teen, and heads for his plush estate in the mountains. They are given the task of clearing the estate of any important objects and papers before the real estate company takes over the sale of the property. When they arrive, Shaun finds the sophisticated security system has been tampered with, but since the house is on the market, she passes it off as a real estate thing.

This Melissa McCarthy film flew completely under the radar for me, with me only hearing a few whispers about it. Ironically, I expected to see her in more films following the conclusion of Mike and Molly. Oh well, Life of the Party will have to suffice. Though it was not as entertaining as The Heat or Spy, it had its moments and exudes the charm that McCarthy has become famous for. I’m sure many of you are like: a movie about going back to college? it’s been done. Not by Melissa McCarthy.

Deanna Miles is a woman who has her world rock as her husband tells her he wants a divorce right after they drop their daughter off for her final year of college. Having dropped out of college in her last year due to becoming pregnant, Deanna is not left with any prospects for how she will support herself. Upon self-reflection about her regret of never finishing college, she decides to enroll at her daughter’s college, to her child’s chagrin.

"Goodtime Charlie's got the blues."

Every once and again a film comes along that you can't quite find the right label to describe. It doesn't want to fit in any particular genre or category. Andrew Haigh appears to be the kind of director who thrives on that kind of a film. He received a well-deserved Oscar nomination for 45 Years, and while I don't expect there will be any Oscar notice for Lean On Pete, it's the kind of film that deserves more attention than it's likely to get, including at the box office. When I first saw Lean On Pete at a press screening, it was anticipated to open earlier and wider than what has actually come to pass. In an already crowded early summer blockbuster season, I can understand the trepidation that your local Cineplex might have taking up screens for such a small marvel when there are literally larger Marvels eating up box office dollars. My hope is that the film will find an audience even among the blockbuster crowd. After all, as good as dessert tastes, there are some yummy nutritious items to be found in the cinematic ala carte of the spring/summer season. Lean On Pete is just such a film and worth the time to make what will be an extra effort to see it. If you’re in Tampa, you should check it out at the newly renovated Tampa Theatre, where you can revel in a one-of-a-kind, nearly-100-year-old theater experience and take in a warm film that serves as a wonderful balance to the action most of us are anticipating over the next few months. Bon appetit.

"Thanos Is Coming..."

Whenever a filmmaker is doing a middle film in a trilogy, or merely a film that's intended to be a companion film in a series, they often talk about attempting to capture The Empire Strikes Back. For years it's been the standard-bearer for anyone trying to end a blockbuster with a cliffhanger knowing it might be years before the ending is resolved for the audience. That's harder to do today than it was in the 1980's. I often say that the only thing wrong with instant gratification is that it simply takes too darn long. The Avengers: Infinity War is exactly that kind of film. It ends with huge elements left up in the air, but at least we'll only have to wait a year for its resolution. After watching how Anthony and Joe Russo have handled this nearly impossible task, I think the bar has now shifted. In Empire Strikes Back lexicon, let's just say the Russos just pulled out a huge chunk of carbonite, and future filmmakers will be using this as an example of how to pull of that herculean task in the future. The Avengers: Infinity War is finally here, and it pretty much lives up to all of my expectations. Now my expectations are going to need a bigger boat.

I’m going to go ahead and say Super Troopers is without a doubt one of my favorite comedies of all time.  Sure I know many will disagree with me, and that’s fine.  Since I first saw their film back in 2002 when I got the DVD I was always excited to see what would come next from the Broken Lizard comedy troop.  There was Club Dread which induced a few chuckles as they tackled the slasher genre, and then they had Beerfest which was pretty funny but simply didn’t hold up to their performances as Vermont’s Highway Patrolmen.  The antics from the first film are simply classic to me, and the film is something I manage to quote from on a weekly basis amongst friends and when I hear that someone has managed to go all these years without experiencing the film it’s something I feel the need to remedy immediately.  It’s more than just a simple stoner comedy and with rumblings about a sequel has been going on for years but things seemed to always fall apart, now after all these years it’s finally happened.

Incase you were wondering just because the film releases on 4/20 this isn’t a movie that requires you to smoke the green dragon to enjoy, the Broken Lizard gang just knows their audience and simply wanted to be part of the joke. For those that saw the first film and couldn’t stand it, well there’s no sense in even bothering to check out this entry. As for those who have managed to miss the first one, please check out the first before going in so you can enjoy the film for everything it has to offer.

Captivating, creepy, and chilling, the supernatural thriller Truth or Dare takes you on a never-ending journey of death.  Much like other horror films that have perfected the formula for surprise and contagious emotional terror, this film has it all bundled tightly and calculating to transfix the audience into believing. If you saw the films It Follows, The Ring, and the Final Destination series, you’ll relive the sensations those films made way beyond leaving the theater.

California college pals and best friends Olivia (Lucy Hale), Markie (Violett Beane), Lucas (Tyler Posey), Tyson (Nolan Gerard Funk), Penelope (Sophia Ali) and Brad (Hayden Szeto) head for Mexico on spring break. There they party down and are having a good time for two weeks.