Middle America is known for its warm-hearted people, its beautiful terrain and its small rural towns. In these areas most people know everything about one another and someone else's problem is everyone's issue.
Ultimately "Almost Christmas" is an engaging, entertaining film that will have viewers laughing throughout. Unfortunately, the film loses steam near the end and stitches together the unresolved plot strands in an erratic manner.
"The Broken Circle Breakdown" is laden with beautiful imagery and heart-breaking encounters between the main characters and their ill-fated daughter. However the film, which clocks in at less than two-hours, feels like it exceeds the 120-minute mark and drags on to its convoluted and unnecessary finale; even when it feels like it's over, "Broken Circle" finds another way to drag on for what seems like another hour. The end result is one of frustration for all the wonderful work that ultimately gets misused.
The transition from adolescence and adulthood is usually marked by the engagement in a career or employment opportunity. Oftentimes that transition is more difficult for some, especially those entering into the arts. For those individuals, the idea of rising to prominence as an artist is a perpetual dream that may never come to fruition. Scott Coffey's "Adult World" emphasizes the difficulties of striving for this dream and the maturity required to make it a reality.
Ultimately, Wasilewski confronts each character in a raw matter but he does it so effectively that he transports the viewer to the characters' world. The film is one of the most moving, poignant and magnetic films at the Tribeca Film Festival thus far.
"Tricked" is filled with crazed moments that make this film border on farce, but its shocking plot twists make this one of the most engaging and entertaining escapes from the overall dark and somber tone of the festival.
"Prince Avalanche" offers a plethora of nuance and subtlety that truly creates a remarkable portrait of human redemption. Its slow pacing creates a meditative ambience early on, but tests the spectator's patience as it reaches its final act.
The film is certainly an entertaining and nuanced piece about loneliness and love. Unfortunately, the narrative exceeds its own limits when it tries to impose a repetitive romance on the viewer. The futile attempts to pull on his/her heartstrings by the time it comes to its bitter-sweet close instead turn into relief that the film has finally come to an end.
Throughout the past 24 years Michael Haneke has been revered as one of the greatest filmmakers of modern times for his sparse, distant and heavy filmmaking. The new documentary by Yves Montemayeur "Michael H. Profession: Director" is an interesting if general account of the director's professional career.
When conversing about the sexual exploitation of woman in male-dominated societies, the female sex is usually victimized while the male sex is relegated to the status of human rights violator. Cinematic depictions of this dynamic generally ignore the possibilities of subverting this perception and the result is a universally one-side viewpoint. Set in Israel, Johnathon Garfunkel's "Six Acts" seeks to shake up this conversation and offer a differing view in which neither sex is completely at fault for the exploitation.
Even with minimal plot spoilers, anyone can see this film's ending even before the film begins. However, the journey with its depictions of poverty and hardship as well as coming of age makes it well worth the viewer's attention. When this story of the underdog is done well, it is easily the most riveting story to experience. "The Rocket" is an exceptional film with stellar performances and tremendous filmmaking.
Torture and bullying have been the subject of controversy throughout the past year. First Harvey Weinstein released a divisive documentary "Bully," which made sensors and the MPAA try and limit the audience and the exposure of the film by giving it an R rating. Then Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty" was the subject of an investigation after it showed water boarding of prisoners. With Emir Baigazin's first feature "Harmony Lessons," the idea of bullying and torture is taken to a completely new level in this dramatically wrenching film debut.
McVicar has had mixed results throughout his brief Met career, but there is no denying the powerful success of his "Giulio Cesare." The production is not only laden with a plethora of eye candy and entertainment, but also features a nuanced depictions of warring cultures that is very much relevant to modern day. Many people often object to the modernization of works to current times; McVicar does not bother with this pretention in the least. Instead he sets the opera in a fantastical world that brings all of history together and reminds of the transcendent quality that opera can have. The endearing cast not only validates McVicar's production, but also makes a stunning case for the increased presentation of baroque opera around the world.
Lenny Abrahamson's "What Richard Did" not only portrays said "rolling in the muck," but it immerses the viewer in the heartbreaking process of seeking atonement despite being unable to act. The end result is a powerful, breathtaking film that will leave the viewer emotionally drained, but transformed.
Ultimately, nuanced singing, acting, and conducting in Wagner is usually enough to make up for an unsatisfying production; this was certainly the case in the Saturday afternoon performance of "Die Walküre."
