TOWER---U.S.A.----Possible the most creative documentary of the year, this excellent film blends live action, present day interviews, news clips, TV stories and sophisticated animation to tell the story of the horror of the first mass shooting that occurred in 1966 at the University of Texas in Austin when a lone gunman climbed the tower and started shooting as a sniper, killing 16 people, and wounding over 30 more before being stopped. The film concentrates on the stories of 7 people who were involved in the shootings and aftermath, and flashes back and forth between them, illuminating heroic action amidst some chaotic horror, resulting in a fascinating, positive, life affirming film. GRADE--------A
SUMMERTIME (aka LA BELLE SAISON)---France--Superior writing, cinematography, music and acting highlight this lush looking story of a gay farm girl who works with her parents. When she takes a few months off to go to Paris, she falls in with a group of radicalized feminists, and among them is a spirited leader, who falls for her. When her father suffers a stroke, they return to the farm together to work, but being gay in the country turns out to be harder than it was in Paris. Set in 1971, some great pop songs and subtle period details make this a stand out dramatic love story. GRADE----------A-
LIFE, ANIMATED--U.S.A.--Fascinating documentary covering about 20 years, about a father who discovers he can communicate with his autistic son through the dialogue of Walt Disney feature animation films.
GRADE---------A-
SAND STORM--Israel--Strong film of teen daughter and her mother who try to resist the male domination attitudes of life in a dusty Bedouin village. Fascinating and disturbing, the film is sabotaged (for me) by constant hand held camera, which lowers the grade (A-) it might have ordinarily received. I wonder how long, in this age of high tech like cell phones, computers and Internet, that these women will be willing to subjugate their lives to male "tradition" without a massive revolution........ GRADE---------B
BURN BURN BURN--Great Britain--Laura Carmichael, of DOWNTON ABBEY fame, stars as one of two best friend who are bequeathed the remains of their dead best male friend to scatter at several places around Great Britain. It becomes a comedy/drama road trip as they discover things about their friend (via a USB key) and each other, and it makes the film moving and memorable. GRADE--------B
SPA NIGHT--U.S.A.--In Los Angeles, a Korean-American teen struggles to appease his parents, who have just lost their restaurant, so he takes a job at a Korean spa, which ignites his sexual questioning. GRADE-------B
ROSITA----Denmark----She's a mail order bride from the Philippines, but tensions arise when she falls for the son of the older man she's been "assigned" to. GRADE-------B
NALEDI: A BABY ELEPHANT TALE----U.S.A./Botswana------It feels like a Disney nature pic in many ways, about the trials and struggles of a motherless calf. Easy to watch, but sort of sad too, due to overwhelming references to poachers and diminishing herds. GRADE------B-
UP FOR LOVE-----France----Typical French fluff (.....Judy!) with amusing premise--single female lawyer, meets and falls for a very short (4 ft 5 inch) man, played by the charming Jean Dujardin (THE ARTIST). There are some clever moments, but for me the real problem was distraction---I kept trying to figure out how they made the normal sized Dujardin to look the size of Toulouse Lautrec. The film makers do a good job of it, but darn if that didn't just throw me out of the story believability. Surely there are some fine short actors in France?! GRADE-------C+
MORRIS FROM AMERICA---U.S.A/Germany---Smart set up (a single black father moves his young teen son to a mostly white German town because of new job) runs downhill at half way mark, as series of typical "teens in temptation" scenes and unfunny sexist and racist rapping lyrics coming from the mouth of a 13 year old, substitute for the plot. A missed opportunity. GRADE------C-
THE BRIDE----Spain----Corny romanticized dialogue made me wince and/or giggle as this dull, over familiar "Blood Wedding" type story unfolds. As the bride runs off with a past married lover on her wedding day, I wanted to shout out rude things to the screen, like "Rip off her bodice!" or "Show us your _______!" GRADE---------D+ (for interesting landscapes and photography.)
COMPLETELY UNKNOWN---U.S.A.--This film is like dinner at a fancy restaurant. A modest hor dourve, but no main course or dessert. It is all set up with nothing to follow through on. Boring and frustrating up to the nothing ending. Rachel Weisz, Michael Shannon, Kathy Bates, Danny Glover are all totally wasted. I need to trust my gut instinct more: if I'm not engaged by the 30 minute mark, then I need to bolt from the theatre. In this case I was not engaged for 90 minutes. GRADE---------D
THE GREASY STRANGLER---U.S.A.--A dull, tiresome exercise in campy horror and very bad taste, this film makes early John Waters' films feel like masterworks. This mid-nighter features food dunked in grease buckets, insipid dialogue spoken in monotone, and an ugly lead actor, frequently nude, sporting a very large prosthetic penis. By the 20 minute mark, I'd seen enough, as had 20 some other movie goers, out of only about 60. GRADE----- D
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