Carnage (2011)

Initially initially intrigued by the preview for Carnage, I didn’t bother getting my hands on the DVD. Can’t pinpoint why but it looked too smug, despite the quartet of heavy-hitters.

One recent day when I had a visitor, I gave her the choice of movies on hand (thanks Seattle Public Library): The Hedgehog, The Pillow Book and Carnage. After some debate (and a failed effort at watching Pillow Book), we rolled with Carnage.

The movie itself is much like a debate we can break down like this:

On one side of the room, Team A: Penelope (Jodie Foster), point guard and coach of the Longstreet family, married to Michael (John C. Reilly), power forward who (usually) takes direction well. Penelope’s a creative academic; he's a pragmatic, an everyday guy with an edge for scotch and humor. (The Foster-Reilly combo would never have occurred to me but they possessed a chemistry that grew on me.)

Enter Team B: Power-couple Nancy (Kate Winslet) and Alan (Christoph Waltz) Cowan. Even less of an imaginable pairing, but again, it worked. Alan’s cell phone rings incessantly and he always answers. Nancy is increasingly vexed by Alan’s ability to check out.

Their meet-and-greet is precipitated by a violent fight between their sons, the details of which hold the common thread—what happened, how bad was it and what are they going to do about it.

The discussion starts calmly in the Longstreet living room. We can resolve this reasonably, they tell themselves. As the afternoon progresses, we are spectators to an incredible doubles match. They couples quarrel, blame, switch sides, recriminate. There is drinking, crying, vomiting. Followed by more drinking and accusations.

Based on a French play God of Carnage (Le Dieu du carnage) by Yasmina Reza, the entire movie takes place in the Longstreet’s home. The dialogue is rich and keeps you at attention and disbelief as the escalations lead to fiasco. As alliances change, we ride the growing wave of suspense. Each character has his/her strengths to drive the eruptions and wit to the finale.

I loved it. The best part is that each time you think the Cowans are leaving, they don’t.

Director: Roman Polanski

Country: US

Genre: Comedy

Run time: 80 minutes

Scale: 4

Pariah (2011)

Pariah is a young adult coming-out tale. The moving story is told with documentary-like realism. It takes an unflinching look at the difficulties faced by teenagers coming out as gay to reluctant-to-accept parents.

Alike (Adepero Oduye) isn't confused about her sexuality. However, she has been dressing in pink and semi-fluffy to appease her church-going mother Audrey (Kim Wayans). She leaves the house with a hidden change of oversized clothes, her doo-rag and baseball cap with which she becomes her true self she can be once away from home. Audrey wages her low-simmer battle to keep Alike girlie and away from bad influences, like her best friend, Laura (Pernell Walker), a lesbian and Alike’s main support. Audrey doesn’t accept the unspoken truth about Alike. As she puts it, “God doesn’t make mistakes.”

Wayans is terrific as the overbearing, pushy mother. There were moments when I expected her to launch into the comedic Wayans territory. She’d make a certain face and, I’d waited for her trademark berserk expression.

Meanwhile, Audrey and Alike’s father, Arthur (Charles Parnell) are in marital discord, which makes Audrey focus on Alike to avoid the bigger issue she’s dodging. Alike's close relationship with her father saves her from complete parental alienation; that is, until she tries to come out to him.

Writer/director Dee Rees creates a confident teen character in Alike, who tries to be true to herself and keep her parents. Her solid network of lesbian pals and an influential teacher keep her moving forward. It’s heartbreaking to see her parents deny her in her efforts to be honest. Pariah depicts the harsh realities that occur after some teens come out to their families. I’ve read about teens being kicked out of the house and shunned after coming out.

In Pariah, Alike's biggest ally is herself. With her excellent grades and good friends, she creates options for herself. Sadly, life doesn’t always present bankable options like those that open up to Alike.

Great indie film. Check it.

Writer/Director: Dee Rees

Country: US

Genre: Drama

Run time: 86 minutes

Scale: 4

Last Night (2010)

Married couple Joanna (Keira Knightley) and Michael (Sam Worthington) attend a party where Joanna notices he and his colleague, Laura (Eva Mendes), share an attraction. Learning that they are off on a business trip the next day leads to a quarrel. They sleep separately. They put a band-aid on it. Joanna is stung but decides to trust Michael.

That same morning, Joanna takes a break from writing to pick up coffee. She runs into former flame Alex (dishy Guillaume Canet). He’s in town one more night before he returns to Paris. They dine with Alex’s friends, reminisce, walk a dog, flirt, attend a party. Their chemistry is palpable. They discuss what went wrong; they share unresolved feelings.

The movie cuts between Joanna and Alex & Laura and Michael. In Philadelphia, Laura makes clear her attraction. Michael says little but stares like a starving dog. The Michael/Laura storyline isn’t as compelling as Joanna/Alex. Worthington’s Michael and Mendes’s Laura are boring, 1-D characters. She wants him. He wants her but he’s lamely trying to resist his urges (until he no longer does).

Issues: Alex running into Joanna is too convenient, especially on the heels of Joanna and Michael’s fight. Joanna offers to mind Michael’s co-worker’s dog the night before the business trip. He takes her up on it but by that time, wouldn’t he have had something lined up? How do Joanna and Michael afford this loft space on one salary? They’re wee details but they beg the questions.

Last Night is talky. It delves into a relationship that didn’t make it and another that might not survive. The Joanna/Alex storyline has depth and their activities are better than Laura and Michael’s silly pool scene. The party Joanna and Alex attend looks like great fun. In the end, we know little about Joanna and Michael. What brought them together? Do they have the wherewithal to work through this?

Despite not knowing what happens, I liked the ending. Does she come clean to Michael about Alex? Does she leave Michael to work through her feelings about Alex? Does she complete her novel in Paris? Do they pretend nothing happened? Go toward the light, Jo.

Writer/Director: Massy Tadjedin

Country: USA

Genre: Drama

Run time: 93 minutes

Scale: 3

Friends with Benefits (2011)

We were flanked with the trailers, interviews and dates with the military folk. Did this saturation make me expect more?

Justin Timberlake was okay in The Social Network. After watching Friends with Benefits, I realized that Justin Timberlake is like George Clooney—he doesn’t act as much as play himself.

Head-hunter/recruiter Jamie (Mila Kunis) scores big when she convinces Dylan (Timberlake) to relocated to NYC from LA to take a job at GQ. The two hang out and become BFFs. They have a discussion about having sex sans strings and voila, it’s a friends-with-benefits arrangement. They seem to pull this off for a good long while. During this love fest, we also learn why both Jamie and Dylan are a mess in the relationship department.

Here’s the real mess—Friends with Benefits is lackluster. Even with some the quirky and heavy-hitters like Patricia Clarkson, Jenna Elfman, Emma Stone, Richard Jenkins, Andy Samberg and Shaun White (the snowboarder), this movie still manages to fall short. Even Kunis, who is enjoyable in comedic roles has a hard time. Her lines are read with knee-jerk speed and without authenticity. It takes on too much. Some of the sub-plots were interesting but there are too many doors opened, not enough time (despite being long for a rom-com) and the ending wraps too conveniently.

Director: Will Gluck

Country: USA

Genre: Romantic comedy

Run time: 109

Scale: 3

Margaret (2011)

I wanted to love it. Had no doubts that I would. Then, I saw it and everything changed.

The first hour wasn’t bad. Then, Margaret led me into perplexing tangents that dead-ended and left me disappointed and cold (the theater was freezing). It was a meandering mess that held me hostage for 2.5 hours.

New York teen Lisa (Anna Paquin, you know she will have at least one topless scene) is on a quest for a cowboy hat. While out and about, she witnesses a traffic fatality. Feeling complicit, she sets out to do right by the victim. As she gets more vested, the situation creates emotional turbulence. Her mother, Joan (J. Smith-Cameron), a stage actress. is having problems relating to Lisa’s increasingly explosive reactions. Joan starts dating Ramon (Jean Reno). Their budding relationship is boring and painful to watch; I didn’t understand the point of it. Even Joan seems uninterested. Lisa becomes increasingly desperate as she loses more control in her quest to do The Right Thing. Lisa’s father, Karl (director Kenneth Lonergan) is selfish and unsupportive. He’s just one more unlikeable character in this parade of many.

What happened? Margaret needed focus and editing. The story took on more than it could resolve, resulting in an unsatisfactory experience.

Director: Kenneth Lonergan

Country: USA

Genre: Drama

Run time: 150 very long minutes

Scale: 2

Entre nos (Between Us) (2009)

Entre nos is a character development film about immigration gone wrong. Based on a true story about a mother and her two children newly landed (presumably illegally) in New York from Colombia. They have reunited with husband and father Antonio (Andres Munar).

Mariana (Paola Mendoza) is devastated when Antonio abandons her and their children—10-year-old Gabriel (Sebastian Villada) and six-year-old Andrea (Laura Montana). Their lives downward spiral. They lose their apartment and must scavenge for food and money.

This uncomplicated story is poignant and positive. Despite not speaking English and despite the loss of stability, Mariana and her children navigate their impossible situation. They survive each crossroad with the help of several strangers. The movie postscript provides details on what happened to the real-live characters. (You don’t, however, learn what happened to Antonio and whether or not any of them ever saw him again.)

I loved the Colombian angle: the familiar accent, the Spanish lexicon and the food. In the bonus materials on the DVD, the directors detail the step-by-step instructions for on making empanadas. Yum-yum.

Co-writers/Co-directors: Gloria La Morte and Paola Mendoza

Country: USA

Genre: Drama

Run time: 80 minutes

Scale: 3.5

Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (2001)

Do you believe in fate? Thirteen Conversations About One Thing shows you why you should. Similar to (but not as compelling as) Robert Altman’s Short Cuts or PT Anderson’s Magnolia, the plot weaves four vignettes into one overall story.

Troy (Matthew McConaughey) has just prosecuted and won a big case. He’s headed for bigger and better. As he celebrates with his peers at a bar, he meets curmudgeon Gene (Alan Arkin) who’s irked by Troy’s glibness. He warns him: It won’t last. Troy is riding high and Gene’s negativity cannot touch him; that is, not until later that same night when a moment of distraction topsy-turvies his world.

Divorcee Gene works in insurance claims. His son is a drug addict. He strikes out at his jolly glass-half-full employee to prove that his happiness is fake. Only, it doesn’t work out as Gene expected.

Idealistic cleaning woman, Bea (Clea DuVall) is crushing on a client. After waking up in the hospital on the verge of death, her optimism wanes, but not as much as when she learns that her client believes she lacks integrity—a true moment of loss of innocence.

Physics professor Walker (John Turturro) and wife Patricia (Amy Irving) have an empty marriage. He’s carrying on with another professor. He seems to be on mute, barely alive. When he finds a victim, a students—a med-school hopeful—he unleashes his ire on him, much like Gene did on Troy. Walker will suffer a triple whammy. His robotic wife suffers one of her own.

The characters (many familiar faces) tussle with tragedy. They must react, suffer and rethink their modus operandi before the story is over. Some characters are hard to connect with and the cleaning woman and professor’s storylines are the weakest but it’s a thoughtful study of human behavior.

Co-writer/Director: Jill Sprecher

Country: USA

Genre: Drama

Run time: 104 minutes

Scale: 3

Our Idiot Brother (2011)

The problem with Our Idiot Brother is its title. It gives a false impression that what you are in store for is a 1-D farcical romp. Not that there’s anything wrong with that—in the right mood, we can benefit from a frolic in that type of comedy. Ned (Paul Rudd) has hippy sensibilities and poor logical reasoning. This unfortunate marriage lands him in the pokey. Fast forward eight months. He’s released and learns that his girlfriend Janet (Kathryn Hahn) has taken up with Billy (TJ Miller, also the concierge/drug dealer from Get Him to the Greek). This means Ned is homeless and has lost custody of his adored dog, Willie Nelson. He moves in with his mother and, consequently, with each of his three sisters todisastrous results—one by one, they blame him for ruining their lives. Steve Coogan as Dylan, Liz’s pretentious and arrogant husband, will make you cringe (in genuine Coogan style). Rashida Jones as Cindy takes a turn with a quirky turn. Adam Scott as Jeremy is underused and not that different from his Parks and Recreation shtick.

The character development and clever writing explore the sisters’ festering relationship issues. You may not like all of the characters but Ned brings you around. We come full circle for a satisfying conclusion. You may even leave the theater smiling as I did. Stay put for the extras during the final credits.

Director: Jesse Peretz

Country: USA

Genre: Comedy with bits of drama

Run time: 90 minutes

Scale: 4

The 27 Club (2008)

The 27 Club is a study in sadness told in flashbacks during a cross-country road trip. Elliot (Joe Anderson) is reeling from the death of best friend and bandmate Tom (James Forgey) just after Tom’s 27th birthday. The two grew up like brothers in a dysfunctional home before finding success as the band Finn.

As Elliot starts on his road trip from LA to Joplin, Missouri, to take care of his dead friend’s last request, the alcohol, drugs and shock of losing his best friend prove too much. Hungover, he stumbles into a grocery store; following an altercation, the cashier calms a flustered Elliot. In turn, Elliot offers the cashier $10,000 to drive him “east.”

Elliot is strikingly reminiscent of a young, sleep-deprived Kurt Cobain while the straight-laced, nameless driver looks like a young Leonard Nimoy. For the late-bloomer driver, this journey becomes his coming-of-age experience. The two merely co-exist as Elliot wrestles his demons. Anderson’s Elliot emotes with his haunting expression—mirroring the pain and turmoil from within. It isn't until they pick-up hitchhiker Stella (Eve Hewson, daughter of U2’s Bono) that the two begin to bond. Although she recognizes Elliot from Finn, she doesn’t immediately acknowledge nor share the information.

The 27 Club contains little crescendo and ends quietly. While soulful, it feels like a freshman film effort, which doesn’t harm the story. The emotional journey through Elliot’s mourning is symbolically interlaced with scenic American landscapes to nibble on.

Writer/Director: Erica Dunton

Country: USA

Genre: Drama

Run time: 84 minutes

Scale: 3.5

Single White Female (1992)

Based on the novel “swf seeks same” by John Lutz, this movie is a frightening over-the-top tale about a girl obsession turned fatal.

The movie rolls with a couple planning their future together. Quickly, Allie (Bridget Fonda) and Sam’s (Steven Weber, remember him from Wings?) bliss is shattered over a situation involving his ex and Allie sets out to find a roommate.

Enter Hedy (Jennifer Jason Leigh, who excels at creepy) and her subdued manipulations to win the room. The ladies forge a friendship and Hedy is a quick study in gaining Allie’s trust. Hedy blocks Sam’s attempts to get Allie back. When Sam gets to her, Hedy’s mental illness goes into overdrive pushing her to eliminate anyone who gets in her way. Hedy’s behavior is overdone and implausible, as is the eventual explanation for her behavior (but Leigh is compelling).

SWF is a disturbing study of a sociopath, leaving you uninterested in seeking a roommate situation. Similar to 1987’s Fatal Attraction, the psychic horror scores but SWF has a trace of propaganda that warns young single women to stay out of NYC or, at minimum, be vigilante for potential troubled roommates. SWF highlights Allie’s helplessness: despite being bright enough to have her own design biz, her first client assumes he will bed her (even after he’s already coerced her into taking his job for peanuts). In addition to his stereotypical repulsion factor, he gives her no hint he will pay her nor recommend her, as she hopes.

This is just one of many nuanced roles by the inimitable Jennifer Jason Leigh. What happened to Bridget Fonda? We didn’t hear from her again after she married Danny Elfman of Oingo Boingo fame.

Director: Barbet Schroeder

Country: USA

Genre: Thriller

Run time: 107 minutes

Scale: 2.5

Mary and Max (2009)

Mary and Max turned up on my library queue. I didn’t recall the seedling for this selection--the joy of surprise. I was smitten with this Claymation/stop motion film.

It begins in Australia in 1976 (in shades of browns with occasional pops of color) with eight-year-old Mary Daisy Dinkle (little Mary voiced by Bethany Whitmore; older Mary voiced by Toni Collette)living with her alcoholic mother and detached father who spends his free time in his shed drinking Baileys and stuffing road-killed birds. Mary has no friends and her favorite show is called The Noblets.

Mary has been told that babies come from beer glasses. She decides to ask someone in America if babies there come from cans of cola since Americans drink so much of it.

In New York City (in shades of blacks, white and greys with seldom bursts of red), enter a 44-year-old Autistic man, Max Horowitz (voiced by Philip Seymour Hoffman), also a fan of The Noblets. One day, he receives a question-filled letter from a young Aussie.

There begins a 22-year pen-pal relationship through pivotal events in both their lives. It’s isn’t, however, a movie for children. There are candid discussions on loneliness, depression, suicide, overeating, Asperger's Syndrome and where babies come from in America. Their letters are charmingly simple and direct. The details and opinions are rich, thoughtful and come to life quickly. You relish hearing the letters. Mary’s explanations of complicated situations and her interpretations are entertaining. Max doesn’t know how to pull punches in his answers and details of his daily struggles.

The clay figures possess great expressions and micro-movements. Color choices are excellent and make for a visual treat. Sound effects and music well suited to the action. The best film I’ve seen in months.

Writer/Director: Adam Elliot

Country: Australia

Genre: Animation/Dramedy

Run time: 90 minutes

Scale: 5