Blue Ruin Is A Darkly Entertaining Film

Blue Ruin comes across as a classic American revenge story, but the stripped-down and smartly produced script satisfies contemporary appetites. It is also one of the finest indie flicks that will be released this year, propelled by a well-told slow-burn story and several breakout performances.

The most memorable aspect of the film isn't in the revenge or the bloodshed spilled in its telling. It comes from the steady transformation of a down-and-out vagabond into an inexperienced and reluctant killer and then again into a clear-headed peacemaker who wants the senselessness to end.

Writer-director Jeremy Saulnier creates an intensely suspenseful yarn with a patient reveal of why his unassuming homeless protagonist has dropped out from society. As his portrait begins to crystalize during a series of happenstance events, so does the the outlook of the audience.

Blue Ruin is a portrait of a modern tragedy.

The film opens by establishing the protagonist. Dwight (Macon Blair) as a vagrant who breaks into homes to shower, dives for food in boardwalk Dumpsters, and sleeps in a broken down car on a beach. His existence, however, is surprisingly self-selected.

When local law enforcement informs him that Carl Cleland (Brent Werzner), a man from his past, is being released from prison, Dwight conveys a desperate urgency to leave town. After producing a hidden car battery and small stash of cash, he heads toward the prison where Cleland will be released.

After watching a reunion between Cleland and two more family members, Dwight follows them to roadhouse saloon where he hopes to even the score. What happens next sets up the rest of the film.

The Cleland family, well-known for living outside the law, attempts to turn the tables on Dwight by transforming a personal fight into a family feud where everyone with similar bloodlines is fair game. And while the more obvious mechanism is the cautionary tale that revives Gandhi's warning that "an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind," Saulnier weaves in subplots that touch on friendship, family, and how our perception and reality cannot always be so easily reconciled.



Aside from the story, the cast helps make the film feel iconic. Blair seems like an unlikely lead on the surface, but his portrayal is near perfect by creating a character who is slightly unstable, obviously intelligent, and equally out of his depth. His performance has effectively rebooted his career.

Another short but sharp outstanding performance comes from Dwight's friend Den Gaffney (Devin Ratray), who is better equipped but less enduring to do the job. And while the antagonists are generally portrayed as stereotypical rednecks, Teddy (Kevin Kolak), Carl (Brent Werzner), Hope (Stacey Rock), and William (David Thompson) all contrast perfectly with Dwight and his sister (Amy Hargreaves). Eve Plumb also deserves a nod for her surprise appearance as the Cleland matriarch.

A few more graphs about writer-director Jeremy Sauliner.

Much in the same way, Saulnier had hoped to do the same. He has worked in film for years, but the majority of his work had been stuck inside the corporate world. Even this time out, he was en route to making a corporate video in Cleveland when he learned Blue Ruin had been accepted to the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

It was the first film he had completed since his scrappy horror satire Murder Party in 2007. As such, Sauliner (and Blair) both considered this film to be a swan song — meaning: either the film would reboot their careers or they would reboot their dreams.

Blue Ruin By Jeremy Sauliner Shoots 8.9 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Saulnier relied on financing from his wife's retirement fund, his own American Express card, and a last-minute Kickstarter campaign. He and Blair also relied on friends and family for shooting locations to keep everything on the cheap. But you would never know it watching the film.

The esoteric film is a revenge movie in appearance, tragedy at its heart, and darkly comic in its presentation. You can rent or buy Blue Ruin from from iTunes or catch Blue Ruin [HD] on Amazon. Blue Ruin is what you want an indie film to be. The film has a Facebook page.

The Juxtaposition Of American Hustle

Even as the critics raise their praise for the film American Hustle, viewer reviews seems to even the score. There are a surprising number of filmgoers who were hoping to see a neo-noir like The Grifters (1990) with its odd and tightly written script and classic, albeit flat, pacing.

In contrast, American Hustle isn't anything close to neo-noir nor is it really a crime drama or dark comedy as some critics called it. The richly entertaining and engaging film is more akin to a character study that straddles the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The characters themselves aren't down to earth but rather vivid, larger-than-life characterizations of transformative times. America was settling into the changes won by an earlier decade. The protests were over and so was the hangover. Plenty of people had nothing to prove anymore.

American Hustle is a foreshadow to the self-indulgent eighties.

The film itself is loosely based on a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sting operation commonly referred to as Abscam. The investigation began as a simple stolen property sting that wandered off course to become a full-scale public corruption investigation. Even so, the movie itself doesn't stick to the sting.

It could have, but director David Russell rewrote Eric Warren Singer's screenplay specifically to create caricatures out of the characters who more closely resembled real life counterparts. Doing so gave Russell more liberty to capture the controversy of the case rather than its procedural trappings.

At the same time, the script allows Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Richard "Richie" DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) to trade places as Rosenfeld seeks redemption and DiMaso slips toward narcissism. Likewise, Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), as Rosenfeld's illicit girlfriend and partner in crime, is contrasted with his wife Rosalyn Rosenfeld (Jennifer Lawrence). They undergo similar but uneven transformations, leaving the audience to wonder which has Rosenfeld's best interest at heart.


Much like the historical investigation, Russell and his well cast troop of actors leave you wondering who is more ethical (if anyone) and what constitutes justice. In the historic case, 31 officials were targeted. One senator and six representatives, plus five other government officials were convicted.

The American public was split in their reaction, with half supporting the FBI and half believing the department had entrapped their marks as a means to seek revenge for previous criticisms. The film never touches on this implication. Russell pins most of it on the ambition of one man (and several others who are all too willing to enable and benefit from it).

A couple graphs about David Russell as a director. 

After a string of moderately successful but not very enduring films and one disaster that will likely never be seen, Russell redeemed his career with the The Fighter, a brilliant biographical sports drama that brought together Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale to tell the story of Micky Ward's rise to claim the WBU Light Welterweight title.

He followed up this film with Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle, which were both propelled by positive critical reviews and three Golden Globe wins, including Best Motion Picture Comedy. It also received almost a dozen Academy Award nominations but no wins.

Russell took an interesting path into film direction, first majoring in English and political science at Amherst College and then working as a union organizer in New York and literacy teacher in Boston. In his spare time, he wrote scripts and eventually interned with Smithsonian World for PBS. When he completed his internship, he returned to produce a film short, Bingo Inferno, for Sundance (1987).

American Hustle By David Russell Wrestles In 8.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

The film's inability to be confined to a single genre opens it up to mixed reviews from anyone, except the critics who were immediately taken in by the portrayal of pronounced caricatures and the artistic qualities of the film. It is memorable, a real treat for anyone who appreciates the detail and the era.

American Hustle by David Russell is available on Amazon and for rent on iTunes. You can also learn more about the film on its international release site or order a physical copy of American Hustle from Barnes & Noble. The movie, more than anything, is about people looking for something better, usually from the feet up.

Short Term 12 Takes A Slice Out Of Life

"After I graduated from college, I couldn’t find work, and a friend of mine mentioned a group home for at-risk teenagers that was hiring," says writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton.
"It was by far, one of the scariest experiences I’ve ever had – at first. ... But after a month or so, I fell in love with it."

It was also this experience — one that lasted more than two years — that inspired Cretton to write and direct Short Term 12, a raw and poignant story about troubled teens at a foster care facility that is told through the eyes of Grace (Brie Larson), a twenty-something group home supervisor. She navigates the volatile waters of work and her own challenges alongside co-worker and long-time boyfriend Mason (John Gallagher, Jr.).

Short Term 12 erases the line between cared for and caretaker.

The thrust of the film reveals how group home caretakers often rely on the people they care for as much as these troubled teens eventually rely on them. And it is in learning this, along with the personal challenges these at-risk teens are trying to overcome, that the film finds its emotional center between its younger characters and their temporary charges.

Three resident standouts include: Marcus (Keith Stanfield), who is less than a week from turning 18 when he will be released into a world he isn't ready to face; Sammy (Alex Calloway), a much younger boy who spends most of his time trying to escape in a desperate attempt to earn affection and attention; and the semi-isolated newcomer Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever), who is reminded on day one that residents must keep their doors open in an effort to prevent suicide attempts.


In every case, caretakers have cause to be concerned. Marcus may not have physical scars from years of abuse but he still carries emotional scars. Sammy seems to become increasingly withdrawn after his counselors take away his doll collection (dolls that once belonged to his sister). And Jayden unexpectedly erupts as her emotions boil over in order to prevent a dark secret from coming to light.

Cretton deals with all of this deep subject matter in an exceptionally gentle, respectful and casual manner. In fact, it's his tender tone, along with the film's ability to run the emotional gauntlet of mildly humorous to heartfelt and tense, that makes it unforgettable. He does a fine job capturing the dividing line between caretakers who live with these kids and the counselors who treat them. And, at the same time, reveals that the line between the caretakers and their charges might not exist.

A couple more graphs about Destin Daniel Cretton.

Short Term 12 was originally written as a 20-minute short for his thesis project for his master's degree in film and new media from San Diego State University. It was based on Cretton's experiences at the home, a story that went on to win the Jury Prize at Sundance in 2009.

"I was kind of a novice filmmaker, and somebody told me that if you were going to Sundance, you better have a feature script ready," Cretton said. "So I wrote one."

The full-length script eventually found its way to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where it was one of five in 2010 to win the Nicholl Fellowship. Although the short and feature each had the same name, both were different with the short featuring a male lead character.

Short Term 12 By Destin Daniel Cretton Opens 8.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

While not technically perfect, Short Term 12 is one of the most emotionally charged independent films of the year. None of the actors miss a beat in their portrayal of complex and challenging characters in a world that Cretton was uniquely able to bring lovingly to life. It's truly timeless.

You can find Short Term 12 on Amazon. The film is also available for download on iTunes. For a short time, it was made Movie of the Week on iTunes with a special 99-cent rental incentive. Conversely, you can order Short Term 12 on Blu-ray from Barnes & Noble. It's a stellar example of what great storytelling and independent filmmaking can do.

Ain't Them Bodies Saints Is A Life Test

Set against the backdrop of Texas hill country in the 1970s, Ain't Them Bodies Saints is a brooding slow burn of a film that almost gets lost in the Terrance Malick/Robert Altman style it emulates. As such, the film feels mischaracterized as an outlaw movie or love story. It's a slice of Americana.

Following the conventional plot lines of the outlaw couple, Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) wants to rob a bank with his buddy Freddy (Kentucker Audley) and make a clean break from the dusty rural town where they grew up. Muldoon's pregnant girlfriend, Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara), volunteers to drive for them.

Writer-director David Lowery never provides any insight into the robbery itself, but centers on a shootout between the trio and county law enforcement, some of whom went to school with them. The standoff quickly ends when Freddy is killed and officer Patrick Wheeler (Ben Foster) is shot, establishing the foundation for the real story.

Ain't Them Bodies Saints is test of character and commitment. 

If there is a theme to the indie film that came out of the Sundance Institute's Writing and Producing Labs, it's the test of commitment of the bonds we make with other people with Ruth set at the film's center. Much of the movie weighs heavily on her splintered loyalties.

Although it is Ruth who shot Wheeler, Muldoon frames himself as the shooter to protect her and their unborn daughter. His sacrifice works well enough. He is sentenced to a minimum of 25 years while she is left to raise their daughter Sylvie (Kennadie Smith/Jacklynn Smith) in a home given to her by grizzled and protective shopkeeper Skerritt (Keith Carradine).

After several years, this becomes their new normal until Muldoon breaks out of prison. His escape sets Ruth on a collision course, forcing her to choose what is best between him, her daughter, the shopkeeper who remained a faithful father figure, or the officer she shot who had always harbored secret affections for her. As such, it feels less like a love story as much as a lost love story.



Ruth may have waited for Muldoon, but his early escape forces her to confront her life. While he still feels the same way for her as the day he was sentenced, her life has moved on and her feelings seem much more grounded to his sacrifice than the love they once felt for each other.

As law enforcement and bounty hunters track Muldoon, he places his trust in other old relationships too. Although any of them could be misplaced, he places his trust in long-time friend Altman (Artist Thornton) and Skerritt. While either man could be his undoing, it's Skerritt who tells Muldoon to give up on reuniting with Ruth and the daughter he never met.

A few graphs about writer-director David Lowery's vision. 

There are three standouts in the film, with the first being the cast. Everyone delivers ovation-worthy performances. The second is the writing, with Lowery creating a script that is as poetic as it is plodding. The third is the cinematography, with its narrow focus on a few characters but ample attention paid to some sprawling and beautiful landscapes.

This is how Lowery proves once again that he is an artistic storyteller to watch with his third and possibly finest film even if that doesn't make it perfect. Not everyone will appreciate the Terrance Malick stylings that make this too slow to be a thriller, too cold to be a love story, and too intellectual to make be a drama. Instead, it plays just like Lowery wanted it to, like an American murder ballad.

The story is tragic even if it never gives you a clear hero or anti-hero to root for or an ending to hope for. Much like life sometimes, what constitutes a happy ending or a tragic one is obscure and blurred. And in this telling, it amounts to a focus on a narrow but emotionally distant film, with characters seemingly lost in their own uncertainty.

Ain't Them Bodies Saints By Lowery Breaks 6.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

If you love films with deep, contemplative moods and beautifully shot textures, Ain't Them Bodies Saints will be appropriately mesmerizing and linger in your memory. But if you like your movies tight, spun around a distinct genre, or carriers of some cathartic message, it might be best to keep your expectations in check.

Simply put, people who love films, especially nostalgic slices of life, will consider this a sleeper. Others will likely scratch their heads and wonder why it received such high ratings. And maybe that is why we like it so much.

You can find Ain't Them Bodies Saints [Blu-ray] by David Lowery on Amazon. You can also order the DVD from Barnes & Noble or download the movie from iTunes.

Two Takes For The Classic Great Gatsby

Sometimes the best way to measure a movie is by what you can remember — not in those fleeting few minutes after the reel runs out but in the months that follow. Baz Luhrman made such a film, one that can easily draw someone into the exuberance and excesses of the Roaring Twenties.

It captures the raw emotion if the not the reality of the era. The reality of it is more likely akin to the quieter, more contemplative counterpart directed by Jack Clayton. But which might be better, excluding the earlier renditions such as the lost film by Herbert Brenon (1926) or Elliott Nugent (1949)? It depends almost entirely by which point of view you prefer.

You can either slip inside the head of Nick Carraway or ride along as an observer. The former is significantly stylized, with an emphasis on passion from his persecutive. The other invites you to think about the substance of the novel, a straightforward retelling that concentrates on composition.

The earlier adaptation fills in blanks, but it's all matter of fact. 

If there is an irony about the "style-over-substance" slug that critics forced upon the 2013 adaption, it is that different critics admonished the 1974 adaptation for not having enough of it. And without the fairytale landscape or lavish and over-the-top parties that oversell the superfluous, the chemistry between Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby never gets off the ground.

The result is a tiredness that takes place in the 1974 film, one that can be tied to Clayton for being too hung up on class and status in some instances but not enough in others. The party crowds, for example, seem too silly to contrast a world of pretenders against what Carraway sees as love.

Even with the help of the Rosecliff and Marble House mansions in Newport, Rhode Island, as stand-ins for Long Island estates, the film doesn't deliver the grandeur of a common walking tour. The shots are mostly too tight and the color too muted to make it magnificent.

Between these challenges and perhaps the limitations of Mia Farrow, who was pregnant during the shoot; Robert Redford, Bruce Dern and Sam Waterston only manage to deliver a few scenes with enough conviction to salvage it. The film was still a success, with Dern's performance the best.

There is a magic in the modern remake in its passion and urgency. 

Where Luhrman does a better job with the story is in never losing sight of the story belonging to Carraway. As much as critics have called the film too stylized, it plays well to how Carraway might see it — and possibly closer to the middle ground than Clayton did. The Roaring Twenties roared.

While Tobey Maguire may make Nick Carraway a little too rural and Joel Edgerton plays Tom Buchanan more snobbish than callous, Leonardo DeCaprio delivers the most underrated performance. In playing Jay Gatsby, he finds the perfect balance between being convincing and uncomfortable. Likewise, Carey Mulligan presents Daisy Buchanan in exactly the way Carraway might see her.



He idealizes his cousin from the start, believing her to be above the rottenness of the rest of them. But as the movie progresses, she begins her transformation from a fragile victim and into a passive villain, no better than those she chooses in the end. The most authentic person in the story may be a pretender like everyone else, but only with the purest intent.

This isn't to say that the film didn't falter at times. The infusion of rap and hip hop was questionable. While it's clear that Luhrman wanted to bridge a century-old gap with the music, the decision might ultimately date his work. Jazz can be roaring enough in its own right.

The Great Gatsby Roars Along At 8.1 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

The rating belongs to the 2013 adaption. The 1974 adaptation, despite telling a bit more about the story, tends to plod along as a backgrounder in comparison despite several sharp performances (and some that aren't so sharp). Luhrman hits the high water mark in making a film that can haunt someone's memory as much as the novel because he sticks with the story inside Carraway's head.

The Great Gatsby (2013) and The Great Gatsby (1974) are both available on Amazon. The 2013 and 1974 adaptations can also be rented or purchased from iTunes. Barnes & Noble carries the special edition DVD (2013) and widescreen version (1974) as well. Walmart also has an exclusive (2013). The novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, will be reviewed another time.

Welcome To The Jejune Institute Again

"To those dark horses with the spirit to look up and see. A recondite family awaits."

Those are the opening words to The Institute, a documentary about the Jejune Institute, which almost immediately inducted 10,000 people after it resurfaced in San Francisco. Not one of these people understood what they agreed to join. They not only joined, but also became active participants.

Was it a game? Was it a cult? Was it one person's attempt to solve the  mysterious disappearance of a girl?

Or maybe the question to ask is whether or not the film is even a documentary. It could be a game. Or it could be an introduction to something else entirely.

You shouldn't just watch the film. You should experience it.

Somewhere in the opening of scenes of the film, there comes a recognition that the documentary may not be a documentary at all. It may be part of a game. Or it might even aim to make you an inductee.

This conclusion slowly begins to seep into your subconscious as the credibility of some interviewees and re-enactments begin to erode. The irony is that they only erode sometimes. And it is in this sometimes that the entire work teeters back and forth between unsettling and nonsensical.

As much as the people behind The Institute are talking about the people they are covering in the documentary, they also seem to be talking to the people who are watching the film. Is it a game? An induction? A waste of time?

But how could it be those things if the messages inside aren't a game?

This is one of the reasons so many reviewers and film festival attendees have called the documentary mind boggling. Sure, some people will finish watching this Spencer McCall creation and consider it all a waste of time. On the other hand, is it a waste of time if it opens up transformative ideas?

Just as an inductee recounts, the entire idea behind it is to blur the lines between fiction and reality until you aren't always sure what might be real and what might be a put on. For example, there really was Sun Yat-Ken, which the film references within the first 10 minutes. But whether he was a real-life antagonist of nonchalance could be hotly debated. As a revolutionary, maybe he was.

Likewise, just as interviewees recount how their paths began by being taken in when filling out an induction card, so can anyone who sees or plans to the see the documentary. There is a hidden place just for them. And there, they can obtain an induction card and begin to unlock more secrets to nonchalance when they watch the film.

The most unsettling part about the film is feeling it do what is says it can do. 

Assuming you don't dismiss it outright without medication or entrenched skepticism, The Institute does an amazing job at blurring the lines between what is real and not real, just like many documentary makers do to lead people to virtuous and villainous ideas, beliefs, and conclusions.

The only difference between this documentary and almost every documentary you have ever seen, is that they empower you to see the put on and as much as pop psychology. And yet, because there are so many hidden messages, meanings, and secrets in plain sight, there is some value within the vision.

In some ways, it's almost like a recreation of Room 237, but without the ominous nature of The Shining and mind of Stanley Kubrick. Instead, McCall has fun with it for better or worse.

A couple more graphs about director Spencer McCall. 

Personally, I lean toward the notion that he did it for the better. And what I love about him is that he is a multimedia producer at a tech company by day and a motion graphic adjunct professor at San Francisco State University (SFSU) at night. He graduated from SFSU in 2008 through the animation program.

The project came to him via Gordon Mclachlan (featured in the film) as an extension of the game. Right, there really is a game. Or perhaps, you never know, the movie might have existed before the website. Or maybe not. Its video trailer was uploaded three years ago.

The Institute by Spencer McCall Bends Perception At 6.7 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

There is a certain campiness that tries too hard at times, but this is otherwise a splendid independent that opens up your head. Most people will have a great time with it if they don't take it too seriously. Those who take is too seriously will simply feel like they wasted their time. Ironically, the film talks about that head on too.

You can find The Institute on Amazon Instant Video or you can rent or purchase it from iTunes. Having an induction card is optional, but there is a good chance you'll want one by the end.

Mr. Nobody Is Fun Sci-Fi Jumble

With the science fiction drama Mr. Nobody by Jaco Van Dormael surviving as a cult film for the better part of four years, there was bound to be a bit of hype overshadowing the release by Magnolia Pictures. Even its premiere at the 66th Venice International Film Festival is a thing of legend. The audience reportedly gave it a 10-minute standing ovation before slipping away into relative cult obscurity.

My advice is pretty simple. Ignore the hype because there are only three kinds of people who will enjoy this film: those who appreciate cinematically stimulating shots and set details, those who enjoy a philosophical cerebral puzzler regardless of its packaging, and those who appreciate the offbeat nature of relatively good indie films. Look around. Almost everyone who likes this film fits in one category.

It's easy enough to fit into all three categories too, while remaining objective enough to know that this film isn't for everyone. It feels long after slogging through the middle and the non-linear format sometimes lends itself to the film and other times feels haphazard. It's not great, but it has greatness.

The whole is not really equal to the sum of its parts. 

Or, more exactly, Mr. Nobody (Jared Leto) is riddled with clips and bits and moments that transcend the finished product. And even though there are not enough of them to make this film a masterpiece, there is a timeless quality about the work that will linger at least as long as the storyline, literally 2092.

Not all of the story takes place in 2092, but this futuristic jumping point is a good enough indication that things can get weird. The protagonist is a 118-year-old man, being billed as the last mortal on Earth.

The balance of the population has conquered mortality. They live in a world where everyone has access to an endless renewal of cells, except Nemo Nobody, which makes him the most interesting novelty on the planet. Everyone wants to know about his finite life and how he lived it.


The only rough patch is that he can only remember it through dreams and hypnosis-induced memories, mostly pre-birth until age 9, age 15, and age 34. These three later ages aren't random either. The first represents a major life choice, the second represents the consequence and second major life choice, and the third plays out the consequences of those outcomes.

You have to make the right choice. 

If Nobody has a gift, it is best summed up as the ability to see far into his own future in order to make the "right choice" or at least what appears to be the "right choice." He initially learns this when he cannot decide what to buy with a quarter that he eventually pockets. He can own all three, any time.

But not all choices work that way. Sometimes you have to choose, such as making the choice between parents who divorce, and play your life out from that point. Nobody gets to choose both. Nobody also gets to choose which girl will become the love of his life, for better and worse.

This choices plays out in a myriad and sometimes mired number of ways, but sometimes they also lead to beautiful lines, thoughts, and philosophies that are often sardonic and other times astute. The only trick is that you have to ferret many of them out because Jaco Van Dormael doesn't make it easy.

A few graphs about Jaco Van Dormael.

The Belgian film director Van Dormael won his first award for a short film in 1981, before going on to make a series of films that respectfully portrayed people with disabilities. His best known full-length films include Toto the Hero and The Eighth Day.

Mr. Nobody was his first English speaking film and his last notable film. It has rightfully received praise and accolades, but has yet to recoup the largest budget in Belgian film history. The most likely reason is its inaccessibility. As noted, it's a great film but not for everyone.

Mr. Nobody By Jaco Van Dormael Unravels 6.4 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

The cast is immense, making it difficult to recognize everyone. Jared Leto stands out for his portrayal of  the adult and old Nemo Nobody. The feat required him to play variations of the same man across very different life experiences. Sarah Polley portrays an adult Elise, with a striking portrayal of someone on the verge of a mental breakdown. All of the children, playing various parts at age 15, are memorable.

For something mesmerizingly different, provided you're willing to work for it, check out Mr. Nobody [BLU-RAY] on Amazon or rent the film on iTunes. Magnolia Pictures will also be releasing the film in select theaters this November. Currently, Sante Fe, New Mexico, and Vancouver, Washington, will open with play dates on November 1.

The East Is A Cast Of Emerging Talent

When former FBI agent Sarah Moss (Brit Marling) is dropped of at Dulles Airport by her boyfriend Tim (Jason Ritter), she doesn't head toward security or her departing flight to Dubai. She exits the airport instead, hails a cab, and heads to a hotel where she immediately dyes her hair and changes her clothes.

The day before, she had been selected by the private intelligence firm Hiller Brood to go deep undercover and infiltrate an underground activist group. The group, The East, targets the corporate executives of companies that its members have found guilty of humanitarian or environmental exploitation.

The movie opens up with the group breaking into the home of an oil company executive and pouring oil into the ductwork. Apparently an act of retaliation for a coastal spill, the oil slowly seeps out of the vents, covering everything in its wake. While never shown, it's implied the executive might have been covered too, an event that attracts the attention of Hiller Brood clients.

A terse psychological thriller that takes aim at emotions and ethics. 

The theme of the movie is relatively straightforward as a modern take on whether the ends justifies the means. But where producer/cowriter/actress Marling and director/cowriter Zal Matmanglij find their footing is in exploring the familiar. The East has many cult-like characteristics and ritualistic activities similar to those in their last film, The Sound Of My Voice.

Moss finds The East by transforming herself into a vagabond traveler and eventually joining rail-riding drifters. She suspects one of them is a member of The East, but he turns out to be an undercover federal agent. She sees him flash his badge when the pack is caught by railroad police.


He flashes as Moss intervenes on behalf of the most vulnerable looking drifter, Luca, whom the railroad police rough up while escorting him off one of the boxcars. Ironically, the unassuming man she saves is a member of The East. He helps her escape and offers to take her someplace for medical attention.

The members of The East are suspicious and divided when Luca brings Moss to their secret squat in the woods. While the group's leader Benji (Alexander Skarsgard) seems open to accepting her into the group, the outspoken Izzy (Ellen Page) is not. They only agree to let her stay two nights to recover.

Instead, Moss is recruited to take another member's place in what the group calls a "jam." In this case, one of the members uses his connection to infiltrate a government contract signing party for a pharmaceutical company.

The member, Doc (Toby Kebbell), has evidence that the drug company is marginalizing the extent and severity of the side effects of the antibiotic that the company intends to mass produce for the military. The jam includes spiking champagne with the antibiotic, secretly forcing members of the executive team to take the same risk they find acceptable for servicemen and women.

This jam and others cause Moss to question the ethics and morality of her job to protect what the group considers corporate criminals. It becomes especially difficult as she gets to know and trust other members of the group. Some of them, it seems, have been personally affected by corporate cover ups and negligence. The is one especially pointed scene when Moss tells her boyfriend during a brief reunion that she felt like she was living in a foreign country, but now coming home feels like a foreign country too.

The East By Zal Batmanhlij And Brit Marling Jams 7.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

This time the duo had a bigger budget to bring their vision to life and it shows, but the movie would have done better without the eco-terrorism moniker that reviewers adopted. Eco-terrorism films tend to cool audience interest, making the moniker somewhat of an injustice.

While environmental crime is on the group's radar, The East is more in line with being a corporate vigilante cult as opposed to green police. Despite landing somewhere between commercial and independent, The East reinforces the abilities of Batmanhlij and Marling to entertain our heads.

The East was released early for high definition purchase on iTunes. You can also order The East [Blu-ray] on Amazon (Sept. 17). The movie can also be ordered from Barnes & Noble. For more on Batmanglij and Marling, see the previous review of their work.

Baran bo Odar Stuns Into The Silence

If you can see past the repugnance of the subject matter, the slow burn suspense of the German-made psychological thriller The Silence will stun you into a different kind of silence. Despite never shooting anything grotesque or gratuitous, Baran bo Odar knows how to make an audience feel uncomfortable.

It is the relentless effectiveness of what is unseen that makes The Silence a masterpiece of a foreign film. Presented in German, with English subtitles, The Silence hits on the same subject matter that underpins The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy without any action or graphically painful jolts.

The unsettling nature of it relies almost exclusively around the casual nature of the crime and casual impact that it has on a carousel of broken people, indirect victims who are unable to resolve their loss. Some of them are swept up in suffering in the present. Others have been victims for 23 years.

The Silence is the story of two murdered girls, 23 years apart.

At the onset, the film begins in the past with two men watching a 16mm film in an apartment building. The curtains are drawn and the film runs out. As it does, the two men step out for a hot summer's drive.

As they drive outside of the city and into a densely wooded rural area, they pass a girl riding her bike beside the road. When she takes a turn down a dirt road, the car passes her but then slows to a stop, backs up, and begins to follow her. Even a glimpse of it in the trailer seals the scene.


It is this intensely creepy scene that sets the pace of the entire film. It's not overt actions — the driver hailing her to ask a question or chasing her into a wheat field — that gets under the skin. It is the near-paralyzed disbelief of passenger Timo Friedrich (Wotan Wilke Mohring) that steals the scene.

Whether Friedrich meant to be an explicit accomplice or is passive and complicit in the crime is left largely unanswered. He neither helps the girl nor killer Peer Sommer (Ulrich Thomsen). When the pair return to the apartment complex, Friedrich wastes no time escaping on a bus with all of his possessions.

The past becomes irreparably connected to the present by a time, place, and people. 

Twenty-three years later, Elena Lange (Katrin Sass) is still grieving over the loss of her daughter Pia (Helene Doppler) and retiring detective Krischan Mittich (Burghart Klaussner) is still haunted by never having solved the case. And it isn't long before their wounds are reopened as a new girl, 13-year-old Sinikka (Anna-Lena Klenke), goes missing.

While there are several detectives assigned to the case, perhaps none are as striking as David Jahn (Sebastian Blomberg). Although he is still an emotional train wreck after losing his wife to cancer five months earlier, Jahn returns to make Mittich's farwell party. He and his new partner, Jana Glaser (Jule Bowe), are assigned the missing girl as his first case back. They, along with the Weghamms (Roeland Wiesnekker and Karoline Eichhorn) become the de facto present day counterparts to the crime in 1986.

Along with them, Friedrich is also tied to the crime. Despite his overwhelming sense of regret and remorse, he had restarted his life a successful architect. He is married and has two children, a 6-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl, of his own.

The new crime, mimicking the old one right down to the last detail, hits him deeply and with immediacy. Like receiving a message in a bottle or a festering time capsule, he is sent reeling. He calls in sick from work and tells his wife he has to work, buying a few days in order to confront the past.

All in all, this is a stunning start for Swiss-born Baran bo Odar. It also seems a shame that his debut took so long to be distributed stateside because he is clearly among the up-and-coming foreign directors to watch. He was born in 1978 and is best known for his commercial work and award-winning short films.

The Silence By Baran Bo Odar Sticks At 5.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

The movie is based on the novel Das Schweigen by Jan Costin Wagner. While the film only managed 11 theaters at its widest release in the United States, the unrated film continues to make waves as a unsettling summer sleeper between digital downloads and post-theatrical releases.

Almost of all its second-life marketing relies on nothing more than reviews and word of mouth. Just recently, it won gold at the New York Festivals for best drama. This second life run is largely related to Movie Box Films releasing it on Blu-ray for the first time. Currently, you can find The Silence on Amazon or download and/or rent it from iTunes. The film is also listed at Barnes & Noble.

Burn Raises The Stakes On Detroit

Back in 2009, Time Magazine asked a pertinent question. Could the city of Detroit be saved? It's a difficult question to answer, knowing the population fell from 1.8 million in 1950 to 700,000 in 2010.

The drop in population has been dramatic, leaving thousands of homes and buildings vacant. As the city continues to struggle against decline, every new vacancy becomes a potential fire. And for the firefighters who work in the city, every call is potential killer. They get more calls than any other city, with one-half as many firefighters than they had in 1950 but a 300 percent increase in fires per capita.

Most days they are fighting a losing battle. The embattled fire department had suffered enough budget cuts and equipment shortages that duct tape serves as the fix all for everything from turn signals to broken boots. The firefighters are more likely to laugh about it than complain. They accept it.

Burn is a blazing documentary about dual subjects.

The 88-minute film captures a collage of firefighters, ranging from one looking forward to retirement and one looking back at the fire that left him paralyzed. Plenty of people wonder why they do it too.

Many of them in Detroit put their lives on the line for around $42,000 per year, which is manageable only if their salaries allow for overtime. The starting salary, according to the film, is only $30,000.

That is not to say that the film isn't balanced. There are several points in the film where accountability is demanded, even resurrecting a story of how one $700,000 fire truck was totaled because it was carelessly parked on a train track. It isn't an isolated accident. Some damage is caused by neglect.

The film works best in sound bites and story bits. 

There is no question that Burn is fueled by its concept and potential to go beyond the screening. It mostly follows the crew of Engine Company 50, which is one of the busiest firehouses in America. But sometimes the story becomes sidetracked rather than truly dig deep into the men or out into the bigger problems facing Detroit.


They do, however, ascend to the perspective of Executive Fire Commissioner Donald Austin, a lifelong firefighter who worked his way up in Los Angeles. He was recruited to be in charge of more than 46 firehouses that respond to at least least 30,000 fires and 130,000 medical emergencies per year. While he holds the firefighters he leads accountable, Austin also responded to budget cuts by laying off his office's one janitor. He cleans his own office now.

In addition to Austin, they spend the most time with 33-year veteran David Parnell, field engine operator. He epitomizes both a long-time Detroit resident and lifelong firefighter, neither ready to retire nor leave his neighborhood despite having eight empty homes on his block alone. Another is Brendan "Doogie" Milewski, who was paralyzed after a building collapsed on him. His struggle continues daily.

A few graphs about the filmmakers and their efforts.

The film was inspired by the tragic death of Detroit firefighter Walter Harris while battling a blaze in a vacant house. The loss sparked interest in the greater problem — why were firefighters risking their lives in neighborhoods that had been described as a mouthful of broken teeth?

This was the question that director-producers Tom Putnam and Brenda Sanchez asked when they decided to dig deeper into the content. With support from Denis Leary, five-time Emmy nominee and star of the television series Rescue Me, and Jim Serpico, president of Motion Pictures and Television at Apostle, they were off and running.

Detroit firefighters have already received $25,000 worth of gear, donated at the Tribeca premiere by Momentous Insurance and the producers have pledged that a significant portion of the proceeds will be donated to The Leary Firefighters Foundation. In fact, the fundraising structure of the film might be one of its most redeeming qualities.

Burn Lights Up Firefighting In Detroit At 7.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

While enthusiasts have called the film jaw dropping, a better descriptor is eye opening because it brings to life several problems that most people never knew existed — that the survival of Detroit remains bleak and that the issues facing firefighters are more complicated than most people would ever guess. But perhaps more important is that it also has heart. If not on the screen, then how it helps firefighters.

Burn by Tom Putnam and Brenda Sanchez is available on Amazon. You can also find Burn on iTunes or find out how you can support screenings for the film in your area.

The Battery Recasts The Zombie Movie

While World War Z is shooting for catastrophic action horror with its $200 million budget, The Battery shot for cathartic dark comedy with a budget of only $6,000. Somehow, the deliberate and plodding indie flick carries a cultish charm that slowly settles in on a not-so-subtle zombie paradox.

Undead body counts are fun, but so are psychological portraits. In The Battery, writer-director-actor Jeremy Gardner settles on mostly two former baseball players — Ben (Gardner) and Mickey (Adam Cronheim) — who find isolation more dangerous than zombies as they wander the New England countryside. And fortunately (or unfortunately), they find more of the former and less the latter.

The Battery is a bit of the odd couple. 

Although Ben and Mickey were teammates, they were never friends nor ran in the same circles. It becomes increasingly apparent that as bad of a match they seem to be in the worst of times, they would have been a bad match in the best of times too. Much like Ben describes it, they are a battery, implying positive and negative charges.

Ben embraces the new world with a nomadic lifestyle in the wilderness; Mickey can only find solitude in attempting to shut the worst of it out with denial and his headphones. Ben immediately kills any shambling zombies they find on sight; Mickey recoils from them with a whimper. Ben wants to keep moving; Mickey wants to settle for a comfortable bed and boarded windows.

If not for his own cowardice and inability to survive, Mickey would break off on his own or stay behind at the next available shelter. Ben, on the other hand, is more pragmatic. He knows Mickey relies on him for survival, but is also hopeful that his new friend-by-fate will eventually pull his own weight. Like it or not, they only have each other.


This isn't a film for jump scare fans. It bears more resemblance to the original George Romero film that defined the modern-day zombies as opposed to any action-packed remakes. Gardner seems much more interested in the psychological acceptance, adoption and emptiness that accompanies being a survivor.

He accomplishes much of it in the atmosphere he creates with drawn shots of the mundane, sharply written dialogue, and the caustic relationship between two people who coexist together out of necessity. They might have spent several months together, but it's clear there isn't a stitch of bonding.

The lack of camaraderie is eventually what invites conflict into the story. After dropping batteries into two walkie talkies taken from Mickey's dead girlfriend's house, the duo pick up some channel banter between other survivors. The survivors seem organized, secure, and structured. They also make it clear newcomers are not welcome. Ben accepts the warning. Mickey cannot leave it alone.

Three people that stand out in this indie success. 

Florida-native writer-director-actor Jeremy Gardner originally wrote the screenplay based on an audition tape he made for a horror film casting contest. After two more years of rewrites, he asked ten friends to finance the film for $600 each. He does remarkably well in all three roles — writer, director and actor.

As a writer, he is especially sharp at dialogue and atmosphere. Although difficult to gauge how he might perform in other roles, his portrayal of Ben is near perfect as a wilderness drifter. His principal co-star is also mesmerizing to watch as a city-boy turned sad sack survivor.

While New York-born Adam Cronheim has a long resume of short films, voiceovers, and stage, The Battery is his first feature film. He and Gardner are friends in real life and, according to film biographies, Cronheim was responsible for all the licensing and distribution.

Although there are additional cast members and extras worth mentioning, the third primary player was never seen on camera. Photographer Christian Stella jumped in to handle the camerawork, design, color grading, and mixing the score despite not having any experience in cinematography. Everything is sun-soaked, with Stella using the same camera he uses for photography.

The Battery By Jeremy Gardner Charges 8.6 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

The entire film was shot in 16 days and, with the exception of the zombies, the entire cast consisted of seven players (unless you count a worm that Gardner granted a film credit). The score has several gems too. The only thing this movie "isn't" is scary. But it was never intended to be anyway. It's a zombie movie with brains. No, really.

The Battery never panders to come across like a big budget picture nor does it ever descend into the schlock of amateur found footage films. Instead, everything about the film hits an indie sweet spot without ever becoming pretentious, predictable,or boring. If The Battery finds cerebral middle ground fans who have grown weary of special effects and thrill rides, it could easily become a cult classic.

The Battery is currently available to rent or purchase via iTunes. The Battery can also be streamed from Amazon. The film is currently available to rent in other formats too. Links will be added to retailers when it is eventually released on disc formats too. We look forward to more from all parties.

Vikings Take On The History Channel

While most have heard of the fictional sensation Game Of Thrones (Thrones) on HBO, there is another series that takes its inspiration from the pages of history. Set roughly 600 years before the War Of The Roses, which largely inspired Thrones, Vikings has enjoyed a fiercely addictive debut.

The series, which has already been renewed for a second season, is inspired by epic accounts of Norsemen around the mid-ninth century. At its center, the story is about the Viking chieftain Ragnar Lodbrok (Travis Fimmel) and his family. Lodbrok was a farmer, warrior, and raider who eventually became a revered and respected leader responsible for scores of legendary raids and epic stories.

Although Norse oral poetry and prose reshaped his exploits to probably include several Norse heroes, many of the stories attributed to him are grounded in fact. The series takes some additional literary license, such as creating the impression that Vikings were less democratic and more autocratic or that they employed the death penalty, but manages to maintain the spirit of historical accuracy.

If the Vikings had an Arthur Pendragon, his name would be Ragnar Lodbrok.

In the second episode of the series, for example, Lodbrok leads a band of Vikings on the raid of Lindisfarne (two miles off the English coast) in 793. The historic raid on the island marks the beginning of the Viking Age. The Anglo-Saxons were so taken with fear that their own records account for bad omens, whirlwinds, lightning storms, and even dragon sightings before the Vikings came ashore.

The Viking version of events is meaningful but perhaps not as mythical. While Lodbrok doesn't have dragons, he does have the next generation of a Viking longboat designed by his friend and shipbuilder Floki (Gustaf Skarsgard). Along with several dozen spirited raiders and his wiry and sometimes jealous brother Rollo (Clive Standen), Lindisfarne opens the West for future summertime invasions.

While praised for his daring, it's also this raid that sets Lodbrok on a collision course with the reining chieftain Earl Haraldson (Gabriel Byrne). Haraldson, who had grown complacent with age and the loss of his sons, was against raiding the lands to the West. Perhaps more than that, he sees Lodbrok as a growing threat to his authority.

Beyond the blood-soaked storyline and into the lives of Vikings. 

Vikings makes the story of the Norsemen ring true, alternating back and forth between barbaric and noble. Anytime he is away, his wife, Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), must prove her own prowess as a warrior to protect herself and her family but not because women were assumed to be weak.

On the contrary, Viking women could own property and rule alongside men. It was one of several ways that Vikings were socially and politically advanced for their time. In addition to their weapons of war, they were equally known for their craftsmanship and curiosity. They traveled the world, visiting Russia to the East and the Americas to the West, hundreds of years before Columbus.


The allure of their civilization isn't only apparent to its growing audience. Athelstan (George Blagden), a Christian monk captured as a slave but increasingly considered family by Lodbrok, becomes smitten with the culture. In some ways, he might even express creator Michael Hirst's own interest in them.

About writer and creator Michael Hirst, MGM, and The History Channel.

On more than one occasion, writer and creator Michael Hirst has expressed that he has been fascinated by the Norsemen for several years. After writing the acclaimed screenplay Elizabeth (Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush), he wrote another about Alfred the Great, who successfully defended the Kingdom of Wessex from Vikings after Lodbrok's death.

While the screenplay didn't work out, Hirst's research did. Given his experience with The Tudors and Camelot, it made sense for MGM to recruit him as the creator of its first original television programming after emerging from bankruptcy two years ago. As another first, the 10-episode series was picked up by the History Channel.

Vikings By Michael Hirst Thunders In At 9.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

The prospect of a hit fictional series on the History Channel creates a unique opportunity for the network. With millions of years of source material and the insight to retain some semblance of historic accuracy, the cable network might have found a unique niche to create hit programming alongside its already successful string of docu-reality series.

Vikings by Michael Hirst can be seen on the History Channel. You can download the series from iTunes. The History Channel recently released a network app too. The free app provides dozens of shows from various series on network plus additional documentary content. For Vikings, it usually includes the most recent four episodes for anyone who missed the timeslot. Ignore the negative reviews, which downrated the app based on other technology and providers. It's surprisingly good.

The Intouchables Breaks All Barriers

When an unemployed immigrant with a criminal record, Driss (Omar Sy), applies for the position of a live-in caretaker, he doesn't have any ambitions to be hired. He only wants one thing — another rejection signature so he can receive state benefits. This time around, he's turned out without one and told to come back the next day.

The reason for the call back is apparent. Phillipe (Francois Cluzet) is a wealthy quadriplegic who has grown tired of the pity and patronizing manner of most professional caretakers. For him, Driss is an enigma as much as an inspiration. He seems to be the only one who can see the man beyond the wheelchair (if he even sees one).

When Driss returns the following day, he is informed that the live-in job is on a 30-day trial basis. At the end of 30 days, Phillipe promises to give him the signature if it doesn't work out. Without any options, Driss moves in to be a caretaker.

A story of spontaneous brotherhood.

Although many French films are criticized for lacking character depth, writer-director team Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano don't seem to have any problem penciling in the details of this true-to-life story. Neither do actors Omar Sy and Francois Cluzet, whose bond is both immediate and convincing.

Part of the reason the story seems so complete might be because the plot is based upon the true-life story of Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and his caregiver Abdel Sellou. Borgo is a French businessman who became a quadriplegic in 1993 after a paragliding accident.

"We were two desperadoes who sought a way to escape: the rich tetra [suffering from the] crazy pain of losing his wife and young boss comes out of jail and wants to blow everything up," Borgo once said in an interview. "Two guys on the fringes of society who rely on each other."


The film is near perfect, creating a juxtaposition in that both men are fish out of water, attempting to find a second chance to put their lives back together. It also remains fresh in being a French film, without the usual concern for racism. Any prejudice in the film isn't based on race but rather socio-economic and physical disabilities, respectively.

These disabilities are also the basis for their mutual attraction and not repulsion. They are interested in each other as people and everything they might learn from one another as both of them are being denied an opportunity to live. One has resources but not the ability. The other has ability but not the resources.

Together, they help each other find something few people ever do. Their second chance comes from learning that most of their limitations come from their mindset more than anything materialistic. As soon as they open their eyes to the possibilities within their grasp, everything begins to change for the better.

A bit about the writers and directors.

There is something else that helped the story come together. Writers/directors Nakache and Toledano are long-time friends who have built an inseparable career together. Shortly after becoming friends, the duo began to produce dozens of short films before turning in their full-length film Je Préfère Qu'on Reste Amis, a semi-funny comedic film about two friends who chase girls.

Since then, they have gone on to write increasingly better screenplays with more believable characters. Their talent truly culminates in this film as they seem to derive as much inspiration from their own friendship as the people upon whom the movie is based. They are also very familiar with Omar Sy, who they cast in their last three films. Interestingly enough, Sy isn't a formal actor and has never been to drama school.

Also interesting is that these two friends were told not to touch the story. Even in France, it was considered too taboo to write anything comedic about disabilities, immigrants, or the projects. By going ahead anyway, they prove that provided it is done with authenticity instead of duplicity, filmmakers can bring humanity to a lighthearted film about trust and redemption.

The Intouchables Breaks Barriers At 8.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Called Intouchables in France and Untouchables in the United Kingdom, the title takes its cue from the notion that Driss sees Philippe as untouchable (because he has to be cleaned and cared for) while Philippe is frequently told Driss is untouchable because he comes from the projects. It's this social juxtaposition that affords them a commonality, one perfectly portrayed by Sy and Cluzet.

The Intouchables received some American attention after being nominated for a Golden Globe in the category of best foreign language film. Foreign language film or not, it is arguably one of the best slice-of-life releases in the last two years (France in 2011 and other countries in 2012). The film was recently made available on DVD and other formats, which are available at Barnes & Noble. You can also find The Intouchables on Amazon or download it from iTunes.

Everything Or Nothing For 50 Years

Created by journalist, author and naval intelligence officer Ian Fleming, few characters have enjoyed as much success as James Bond. Bond, James Bond, would enjoy 12 novels under Fleming, 23 films portrayed by six different actors, and several other novels written by six additional authors. (Soon to be seven.)

All of them adopted timeless qualities that define James Bond, most notably the qualities that defined Ian Fleming, while also adapting and adhering to whatever global threats seemed to surface. In doing so,

"Here was a hero that murdered in cold blood. Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam," says Timothy Dalton. "[He was] the dirtiest, toughest, meanest, nastiest, brutalist hero that we've ever seen. That is what started these movies." 

And it is also what often kept them going, with the Bond character celebrating his 50th anniversary this year and the film franchise enjoying its 40th anniversary last year. But perhaps even more striking than the onscreen insistence of the character was the behind-the-scenes insistence of everyone involved.

The World Is Not Enough might have been a Bond title that conveyed his mantra, but it was the mantra of everyone behind the camera too. Even the production company that came together to make it was named Eon Productions. EON was an acronym for Everything Or Nothing. It often was because Bond was frequently one gamble after another.

Everything Or Nothing: The Untold Story Of 007

For anyone with a real interest in Bond, Everything Or Nothing is a chronological romp across 50 years, beginning with the fascinating Fleming. Although Fleming was an intelligence officer during World War II, he was largely stuck at home — overseeing two very real intelligence units.

As the film reveals, his thoughts about Bond were very much a collaboration of people who worked in the field as well as a collection of Fleming's own personal demons. He held nothing back.



In fact, one of the most striking realizations in the documentary is that Fleming was very likely looking in the mirror the one and only time that he described 007. Although Daniel Craig, the newest Bond, doesn't fit that description, he has captured the persona as the books intended. He is dark and troubled but often triumphant in turning the tide — not unlike the man who wanted to fight in the Cold War.

Although largely polished and protective, the film pulls back some curtains. 

Anytime a film franchise adds to its record as the longest-running in movie making history, it's easy to forget that the series frequently tittered on one disaster after the next, starting with endlessly negative critical reviews about Casino Royal. One of them included the hate of his wife.

Once Bond slowly started to migrate to the silver screen, it became worse. The first disastrous film adaption made Bond an American named Jimmy. It attracted Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, but they were unable to finance it. The original $1 million budget to produce the first film and Columbia turned them down.

Even after it finally found it success, the franchise always rolled along with plenty of peaks and valleys. It made the career of Sean Connery, but also tested whether or not Bond was bigger than the actors who portrayed him. None of them after Connery would escape criticism (and even Connery received some criticism on his return). And ironically, even Fleming and United Artists had doubts about him.

He proved his place in his own way, much like many of the actors did over time. In fact, although the feel of the documentary is fluff, it reveals a surprising amount of detail inside its 90 minutes with vintage and new appearances from the people closest to the project. All of it is unafraid of its controversies, much like someone might expect from Bond himself.

Everything Or Nothing Targets 6.1 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Although the James Bond franchise has become a cultural phenomenon of sorts, the films seem to have done so in spite of themselves. Behind the scenes, most of the actors, authors, directors, and even the producers made decisions not based on what they felt the public wanted, but on their interpretation and sometimes love of the character originally created by Fleming.

While the documentary by director Stevan Riley might leave some Bond buffs wanting more, it is certainly a fine pick for the mildly curious after watching Skyfall. Both the newest film and the documentary make sense of why this British spy thriller has managed to become endearing for generations.

Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 is available from Amazon. You can also download the movie from iTunes. The latest Bond film, Skyfall (Blu-ray/ DVD + Digital Copy), can also be found on Amazon or downloaded from iTunes too. For more information about Bond like 50 vehicles over 50 years, visit the dedicated 007 website.

Wallflowers Earn All The Perks In Film

Despite occasionally overzealous polish and missing any deep conflict beyond the everyday challenges of being an adolescent, Stephen Chbosky works hard to capture the mysticism that made his novel a modern classic. Where he succeeds is in creating an earnest indie with enough lightly offbeat moments that almost anyone can relate, regardless of who they might be or when they survived high school.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (Perks) is a triumph in understanding the importance of acceptance and the pitfalls of authenticity during the longest four years of anyone's life. Charlie (Logan Lerman) makes for the perfectly distant outcast, especially because there is something slightly offbeat about his mental chemistry.

Charlie eases into being the canvas for a cast of young and offbeat characters. 

Charlie is a 15-year-old boy who is a naive but endearing outsider, coping with a mental illness and the death of several people close to him. The outcast newcomer is taken under the wings of two smart and quirky high school seniors, Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller), who help lure him away from a fictitious friend he writes letters to and into the real world with all of its charms and challenges.

All of the actors in the film fully commit to their various roles and relationships, especially the leading three. Lerman bravely plays Charlie by balancing his charming desire and patience to belong with a quiet and mildly disturbing belief that he will never belong. Watson is purposeful and poised, always grounded despite becoming the object of a crush. And then there is Miller.

By almost every measure, Miller delivers a movie-stealing performance as a self-assured and exuberant gay high school student. Although Miller recently went public about his own sexuality, the weight of his emerging talent as an actor is easily understood by seeing him in the contrasting role We Need To Talk About Kevin. While Charlie is the protagonist, Patrick can easily be considered the hero.


The three of them initially connect at a high school game that Charlie attends on his own. Recognizing Charlie from a class they have together, Patrick invites him to join them and takes him to a cafe afterward. At another school event, the step-sibling duo invite Charlie to dance with them and take him to a party, introducing them to their self-described group of misfit toys (slightly reminiscent of theater geeks). On the individual measure, they represent the increasingly diverse modern stereotypes that have emerged since films like The Breakfast Club.

The film is thoroughly enjoyable despite never allowing major conflicts to overshadow its even-paced, feel-good charm. While often overlooked, it waters down what would otherwise be climactic moments as large as those seen in films like Almost Famous. Instead, Chbosky makes it all easy, despite the bumps and bruises, with no real explanation other than all of it is slightly tainted by Charlie's perspective.

A bit about author, screenwriter and director Stephen Chbosky. 

Chbosky was born in 1970 and raised in a Pittsburgh suburb. The location was not at all that different from the setting of his debut novel, but he graduated from high school two to three years earlier. The book itself can be considered accidental in that Chbosky was working on a different book when he wrote the line that would become the debut's title.

As a semi-autobiographical book, it became immediately popular for dealing with teen sexuality and drug use and was eventually banned in several schools. It has twice made the American Library Association's 10 most frequently challenged books list.

Chbosky has had a somewhat sporadic but successful career since his first independent film, Four Corners Of Nowhere, in 1995. Since, he has written and produced several projects, most notably: the television series Jericho and the screenplay Rent.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower Peaks At 7.5 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Although The Perks Of Being A Wallflower might be more structurally sanitized than the novel of the same name, Chbosky clearly brings real passion to this independent project. In doing so, he delivers a certain timeless quality to the film while bringing out the very best from a young cast. Kudos to Waston too. She picked the right post-Potter part.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower can be downloaded from iTunes. The novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, is available from Amazon. Although digitally available, the DVD and Blu-ray release is slated for Feb. 12. Film preorders are available from Barnes & Noble. Expect the film to find a much larger viewership than it ever did during its limited run last fall.