Crazy Stupid Love

Crazy Stupid Love

Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa; written by Dan Fogelman

With Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Analeigh Tipton, Jonah Bobo, Kevin Bacon, Josh Groban and Marisa Tomei

Tis the season of big noisy, expensive ‘blockbuster’ films. How refreshing to have a summertime film that is both sweet and smart and also studded with dynamite performances. The romantic comedy “Crazy Stupid Love” does not follow the usual formula for that genre. Instead the viewer encounters lots of surprises and satisfactions.

Cal Weaver (Steve Carrel) and his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) are 40 something childhood sweethearts who are living the American dream, including a beautiful home, good careers and two children, Robbie (Jonah Bobo) and Molly (Joey King). As “Crazy Stupid Love” opens, they are about to order dessert at a restaurant. After Cal orders crème brulee, Emily announces that she wants a divorce. She has been having an affair with David Lindhagen (Kevin Bacon), a co worker.

Shell shocked Cal, a nebbish of a fellow, drowns his sorrows with cranberry juice and vodka at upscale singles bars loaded with beautiful women.. He hasn’t a clue of how to meet any of them until a very suave lothario, Jacob (Ryan Gosling), decides to do a physical and mental makeover on him. Cal becomes a ladies man, but all he really wants is to reunite with Emily.

But there are other threads of plot in this engaging film. Cal’s 14-year-old son, Robbie, is in love with his 17-year-old babysitter, Jessica (Analeigh Tipton). Jessica has a massive crush on Cal. Hannah (Emma Stone), a recent law school graduate, is  pursued by the casanova Jacob, but she has eyes only for Richard (Josh Groban), a self-involved lawyer at the firm for which she works. The script is very busy. And very funny.

The screenwriter Dan Fogelman and directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa have balanced both comedy and drama in these pairings. Everyone is looking for love, and the course of true love does not run smoothly. 

The performances in “Crazy Stupid Love” couldn’t be better. Steve Carrel is poignant as the somewhat clumsy cuckolded Cal. Ryan Gosling adds sensitivity and decency to the lothario stereotype Jacob. Jonah Bobo is simply wonderful as the adolescent Bobbie, who refuses to take no for an answer from his bewildered babysitter, Jessica. Analeigh Tipton as Jessica is captivating with her huge eyes and  gawky innocence. Emma Stone is terrific as the straightforward Hannah, who sees through Jacob’s smooth operator persona.

With its plot digressions and one large surprise, “Crazy Stupid Love” defies the conventions of the romantic film formula. It will have you laughing from beginning to end. But most of all it is a touching look at love, its complications and how it maddens us and satisfies us all at the same time.

A Better Life

A Better Life

Directed by Chris Weitz

With Damien Bichir, Jose Julien, and Eddie Sotelo

The deeply compassionate and absorbing film, “A Better Life,” deals with those untold numbers of people who are mostly invisible to us. This simple and understated story is about an illegal Mexican alien, Carlos (Damien Bichir), and his U.S. born 14-year-old son, Luis (Jose Julien), who live in borderline poverty in  the barrios of  East Los Angeles. Luis rejects his Dad’s Mexican ways. These two  males seem worlds apart.

Carlos is a hardworking gardener who spends exhausting hours working to keep the wealthy Los Angeles residents’ yards looking impeccable. He sleeps on the couch of his little apartment so his son Luis can sleep in the bedroom to be rested for school. Luis skips school and aspires to becoming a member of one of the barrio gangs. His father is too exhausted to do anything about it. All Carlos wants to do is to work hard so Luis can get a good education and a better life, but all Luis wants to do is to hang out with his buddies.

Carlos finally gets an opportunity to improve their lives. He borrows money from his sister and is able to buy a truck and equipment so he can have his own landscaping business. Of course, he has no driver’s license, and a simple traffic misstep could lead to his deportation. Carlos has learned to keep his head down and not to draw attention to himself.

Carlos’s happiness at owning his own truck is shattered when his truck is stolen. He can’t report the incident to the police because he is an illegal with no driver’s license. Luis and he set out together to find the stolen vehicle. “A Better Life” then takes the viewer on an odyssey of the streets of East Los Angeles, including its street people, its gangs, political rallies, people waiting for buses, laborers looking for work, and the omnipresent police helicopters flying overhead. The tension mounts as the search continues.

“A Better Life” is two stories. One is the plight of the illegal alien and the other a story of father and son. You can feel Carlos’ powerlessness and anxiety and a sense of what it feels like to be an undocumented alien. Our political rhetoric clouds the plight of these usually hardworking, law-abiding people living on the edge of poverty. 

Luis begins to see that his father is not a wimp, but a strong individual outraged at the theft of his truck who will stop at nothing to retrieve the stolen property. The father and son soon begin to see eye to eye.

“A Better Life” puts a human face on illegal aliens, each of whom has his or her own story to tell. 

Damien Bichir is magnificent in this film. With tiny changes in expression, he projects the fears and anxieties bottled up in his character. You get a feeling of what it must be like to be an illegal, constantly aware of the possibility of being rounded up and deported. These are ordinary people with families, hopes, and dreams who live under the radar. Maybe the next time you look at a busboy, a housekeeper or the person who cuts your grass, you will see them as a whole person.  “A Better Life” will tweak your own compassion and heighten your awareness. And that’s not a bad thing.

BUCK

BUCK

Directed by Cindy Meehl; directors of photography, Guy Mussman and Luke Geissbuhler; edited by Julie Goldman

It seems that whenever we pick up a newspaper or click on the TV, we hear about climate crises, war, overthrow of governments, terrorist attacks of some sort and political maliciousness..  What a total pleasure and relief to learn about Buck Brannamen, a real life Wyoming cowboy, the central figure in the documentary BUCK.  The film The Horse Whisperer was inspired by Buck and his approach to horses. You don't need to be a horse lover to enjoy this beautiful film.

  The film covers Buck’s childhood horrors to his adulthood fame and success with horses.  Buck and his brother were trained by their brutal father to do rope tricks in rodeos.  They even appeared on TV in the 60’s.. Their loving mother was a line of protection against the sadistic father.  She died when Buck was young so he was at the mercy of this cruel and often drunk man.  When a gym teacher discovered angry welts and scars on Buck's and his brother's backs, they were placed by court order in the foster care of the Shirleys, a loving and gentle couple who enabled Buck to overcome his terrors and shyness..  Thank heavens for this. 

Having suffered terrible cruelty and pain from his father, Buck empathizes with the horses.  He does not believe they need to be 'broken' by abusive methods.  He is legend in the horse world.  He travels 40 weeks of the year to hold 4 day clinics in which horses are trained not by a whip, but by him waving a flag.  There exists a communion between horse and man when Buck is in charge.

  Although Robert Redford speaks in several clips, the real star here is the totally engaging and soft spoken Buck.  As he waves the flags in the various clinics, he explains his philosophy.  He says that his job is to' help horses with people problems' not’ people with horse problems.'  He explains that 'everything is a dance:' meaning he and his horse in synch together..  You want to hear more of his folksy wisdom.

The film is not all warm and fuzzy.  There is a violent and very sad interlude in which a teary woman brings her 3 year old stallion to Buck to train.  The horse suffered a birth defect and as a result is a dangerous creature, at times biting and trampling his human keepers.  Buck handles this horse with respect and calming words. He patiently eases the wild horse back into its trailer which will transport the animal to its euthanization..  He never blames the animal.  Instead he believes the fault lies with the owner. 

  The director, Cindy Meehl , is a fashion designer turned artist.  This is her first film, and it won Best Documentary at Cannes.   She trails Buck to many of his 4 day clinics and includes historical shots of young Buck and his brother doing rope tricks as well as footage of horses being broken by cruel methods.  Then there is gentle Buck, hypnotically waving his flag to soothe and calm the animals, training them without the use of harsh methods.

The understated Buck never dwells on the childhood mistreatment which would have destroyed most people.  Somehow this wise man was able to transcend that past and turn it to uncanny understanding, compassion and success with horses.  We could all learn a lot from Buck’s life lessons.  You will remember Buck Brannamen for a long time after you leave the theater.

Tree of Life

Tree of Life

Written and directed by Terrence Malick

With:  Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain, Fiona Shaw, Hunter McCracken, Laramie Eppler and Tye Sheridan

     Not since 2001 Space Odyssey, has a film so powerfully and beautifully dealt with the Big Picture until now, with the release of Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life.  This very challenging film tackles not only the mysteries of life, death and eternity, but also the awe of the creation of Earth and the universe, indeed, the meaning of our existence.  The scope of this film is so vast that   that director Malick seems to have performed a miracle in putting it all into one magnificent 2 ½ hour film.  The Tree of Life won the top prize, the Palme d’ Or at Cannes this Spring.

     It is the 1950’s in Waco Texas and a young couple, the O’Briens, is starting their family which will eventually be three sons.   The neat lawns, crew cuts, vintage automobiles, women in aprons recall that bygone era with scrupulous detail.

Mrs. O’Brien (Jessica Chastain) gives birth to her first son, Jack.  Later on we see Jack (Sean Penn) as a middle aged man, in a gleaming  Houston high rise.  He is a lost soul searching for the meaning of  life  as he reflects on his childhood.    Whispered narrations lead us from scene to scene.  When, as a child, Jack’s brother is killed by some unnamed force, the film’s tone takes a tragic turn.  Jack asks God “Where are you?”

     Tree of Life then turns to the maelstrom of creation.  There are exploding galaxies, pulsing nebulae, rivers of molten eruptions, cells dividing, jellyfish forming, hammerhead sharks circling, deafening thunderstorms, dinosaur appearing.   Finally we see young Jack emerging from the water, when finally he is an infant in his mother’s arms.   Every child’s story is a story of all creation, Malick seems to say.

     Jack’s father (Brad Pitt) is a square- jawed, often abusive disciplinarian, who demands hugs from his sons as instruments of control.  He is a frustrated inventor who also plays classical music on the family piano.  His son Jack (Hunter McCracken) is too often the recipient of his father’s rage. Mr. OBrien’s wife is a warm and kind woman who delights in cavorting with her sons, dancing in the rain, serving three squares a day.  She is as close to an angel as one can get.

     Jack’s loss of innocence is chronicled as he runs with a gang of youngsters, breaking some windows, torturing a frog and injuring a dog.  It is disturbing to watch, but a metaphor for his fall from grace.   Tree of Life is replete with allusions to brute nature (Jack’s father) and spiritual grace (his mother).

     God has a leading role in Tree of Life.   Questions that are whispered to Him by Jack are answered in the form of a rustle of a curtain, shadows on the wall, the gurgling of a stream.  Those answers are necessarily oblique.  Because there are no answers.

     Beautiful orchestral and choral music by Brahms, Berlioz and other classical composers accompany many scenes of the film.  The score turns ominous at times such as when Jack is being unreasonably punished by his father. The cinematography captures not only the violence of creation but also the tidy Eisenhower Era  streets of Waco Texas.  There are exquisite panoramas over rustling fields, rolling rivers, and quiet views of the spotless interiors of the O’Brien house.

    Tree of Life is not a mainstream film, and undoubtedly it will frustrate many viewers.  A film that is elliptical, allegorical and, at times, surreal demands patience and reflection.  For example, towards the end, adult Jack, in his business suit, walks on the  endless bleached sands of eternity, encountering  long deceased friends and family members.  The presence of God is a constant in this film.  Aside from the cosmic concerns of the film, the scenes of the O’ Brien family demonstrate Malick’s deep understanding of family dynamics: the tenderness, the sadness, the tensions.  Indeed, there is enough material about this family for a separate movie.  Hunter McCracken who plays the young hurt, fearful and angry Jack, delivers a spectacular performance of depth. And watching the gorgeous Jessica Chastian is one of the films many pleasures.

     Very rarely does a film come along that is as provocative, powerful, and groundbreaking as Tree of Life.   It inspires us to think in ways we rarely do.  This film is simply a great work of Art.  Seeing it is an extraordinary experience.

Midnight in Paris

Midnight in Paris

Written and directed by Woody Allen

With: Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody, Carla Bruni, Marion Cotillard, Rachel McAdams,

Michael Sheen, Owen Wilson, Tom Hiddelston, Alison Pill, Corey Stoll, Kurt Fuller,

Mimi Kennedy, and Lea Seydoux

If you love Paris when it sizzles, you will love Woody Allen’s captivating and smart “Midnight in Paris.” The film is packaged throughout with exquisite daytime Paris scenes bathed in golden light as well as nighttime scenes shrouded in mists and cobbled streets wet with rain. This film is another of Allen’s valentines to Paris. Air France must be delighted with the release of this film.

Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) is the quintessential American in Paris. He and his fiancée, Ines, are accompanying her parents on one of her father’s business trips. Gil is a successful but frustrated hack Hollywood screen writer who hates what he does. He is working on a novel about nostalgia. Spoiled Ines’s only goal is to live in Malibu on Gil’s residuals while he would be delighted to live in an artist’s garret in Paris. Unfortunately for Gil, they run into Paul, a smug and pedantic professor friend of Ines, and have to spend time with him. Ines thinks Paul is great; Gil thinks he is pompous and pretentious. Gil and Ines seem ill suited for each other.

But Gil lucks out as “Midnight in Paris” takes an unexpected turn. Escaping from Ines’

boring friends, Gil wanders the streets of Paris. At the stroke of midnight, an

ancient Rolls Royce pulls up and its occupants, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, urge Gil to come to a soiree with them. He finds himself at a lost generation party alongside Cole Porter, Ernest Hemmingway, Salvador Dali and others. Since Gil’s specialty is nostalgia, this is right up his alley. He is understandably awestruck, enchanted and almost speechless—but not totally speechless because he asks both Hemingway and Gertrude Stein to read his manuscript. 

Nothing lasts forever, however,and  Gil has to come back to present time and spend time with temperamental Ines and her grouchy Tea Party member parents, whose main interests seem to be shopping and eating in expensive restaurants.  

This is Woody Allen at his best. Nostalgia has repeatedly been a theme for him. The story is loaded with stars and a celebrity or two. Even Carla Bruni, President Nicolas Sarkozy’s wife has a part in this oh so Francophile film. “Midnight in Paris” is filmed exquisitely with tantalizing views of the Eiffel tower, Monmartre, the flea markets, the Seine and, of course, the cafes and bistros.

Each cast member shines. They obviously love the film and the chance to impersonate literary giants and artists of the 1920s. Owen Wilson could not be better. He embodies the Woody Allen persona, a man full of self-doubt, dissatisfied with many things. Mostly he longs to inhabit a bygone era and to be able to have the challenging and intellectual conversations absent from his present life with Ines.

Time travel may be a wacky concept but it seamlessly works in “Midnight and Paris,” something not easy to pull off. But Allen succeeds. All of this is silly and fun. And, of course, it is always entertaining to see how many stars Allen can squeeze into a film. And did I mention how very romantic it is?

Last Night

Last Night

Directed by Massy Tadjadin

With Keira Knightly, Sam Worthington, Eva Mendes and Guillaume Cadet

A photogenic young married couple lives in a super chic Manhattan loft. Joanna (Keira Knightly) and Michael(Sam Worthington), ex pats from London, have been married three years. They both have exciting jobs and stylish wardrobes. Everything looks pretty as they dress to go to a party as “Last Night” begins. But there is an awkwardness between them. What’s going on? Marital distrust and communication breakdown are not unique to this married couple, but these issues are compassionately observed in “Last Night.”

It all happens in one day. At the party, Joanna warily observes Michael as he interacts with his gorgeous coworker, Laura (Eva Mendes). Laura can hardly keep her hands or her eyes off of him. At home after the party, Joanna accuses Michael of being interested in Laura. She finally wears him down, and he admits that he does find Laura attractive. Joanna’s hidden tensions and doubts intensify.

The next morning Michael leaves on a business trip with—guess who—Laura. Coincidentally, on that very same morning, Joanna happens upon an old boyfriend, a young Frenchman named Alex (Guillaume Caudet). Their rapport is instantaneously rekindled and they make plans to have dinner together that evening while Michael is away.

The remainder of “Last Night” crosscuts between Joanna/Alex and Michael/Laura. Sparks fly as each couple spends their respective evenings together. Will Joanna and Michael cheat on each other?

It is a simple plot, done before. Marriages are destroyed by jealousy and insecurity. How can a married couple resist being unfaithful when faced with very appealing temptation? Joanna and Michael struggle with this dilemma in their own ways as the night progresses and the alcohol flows.

“Last Night” asks you to decide what comprises “cheating.” Is it merely a kiss or an embrace? Or does it need to go further to be infidelity? Is it harmful to a marriage?

Keira Knightly is perfect as a woman plagued by a jealous heart. Sam Worthington struggles with his own demons in a more inward way. Long, provocative silences between the couples speak volumes. However, one wonders why two British actors were asked to play the leads in this New York/American film. The same goes for Joanna’s ex, Alex, who is French. Also, I can't for the life of me figure out why Lucy, a placid Labrador retriever, is inserted into “Last Night” for much of the film for no apparent reason.

It’s always fun to observe New York’s sparkling night life, scenes of parties, restaurants and beautiful vistas of TriBeca streets slick with rain. “Last Night” is atmospheric and beautifully filmed.

Director Massy Tadjedin has a firm grasp of how couples interact by what they say and don’t say. Her film keenly observes the dangers and pleasures of crossing the line in marriage. Both Joanna and Michael know they are treading in treacherous waters. Was it worth it for them?

I am not sure.

African Cats

Directed by Keith Scholey and Alastair Fothergill

With: Lionesses and cubs, Lions, a cheetah and her cubs, hippos, hyenas, wildebeest, giraffe, zebras, gazelle, water buffalo, crocodile, aardvarks at al.

What could be more captivating than wee fuzzy lion cubs? Wee fuzzy cheetah cubs! The new Disney film, “African Cats,” provides plenty of both.

This stunning film opened on Earth Day, an appropriate choice as the numbers of lions on earth continue to decrease every year.

The film follows two families of African cats and their quest for survival in the Masai Mara in Tanzania. The savannahs are filled with danger as you will see.

Little Maya is the endearing cub of Layla, a lioness who is getting on in life.

She wants to insure that Maya will be accepted by the rest of the pride after she is gone. Cubs cannot care for themselves and make tasty meals for viscous hyenas and other predators. Fang is the male lion who protects his pride of several females and their cubs. He is recognizable by a fang that protrudes from his mouth. Not far away are five male lions who want the pride for themselves. They would kill the cubs so the lionesses will produce their own offspring.

The other “African Cat” family is that of Sita, a cheetah who lives across the river from the lions. Fearless Sita has five cubs and is a “single mom.” Sita continually needs to leave her hungry cubs alone so she can hunt for their food. While she is off hunting, her cubs are in mortal danger. Unlike the lionesses who hunt in packs, Sita has to go it alone. It is not easy.

“African Cats” is called a “true life adventure,” not a documentary. It is difficult to imagine any life more threatening that that of these cats. It is eat or be eaten, kill or be killed.

The theme of  motherless offspring has been done many times by Disney(Bambi, Dumbo, Snow White and others). The animals are given human emotions and the viewer relates to these feelings. Samuel L. Jackson narrates the often heart-pounding story with just the right ominous tone.

The cinematography in “African Cats” is ravishing from sunset panoramas, aerial shots of the savannahs, to the inner family circles of these majestic felines. You see close ups of the animals’ huge furry paws, their quivering flanks, their powerful shoulders, the insides of their cubs’ yawning mouths. You hear the mewling of a stricken Sita when she can’t locate her cubs as you hear their cries for their mother.

There are those who will criticize the anthropomorphism in “African Cats.” But who is to say that these animals do not have “courage,” “hope,” “grudges,” “confidence,” or experience “love.” And that a mother cat’s loss of her cub is not her worst nightmare? I, for one, can tell if my dog or cat is content, depressed, or anxious, all “human” emotions.

Directors Keith Scholey and Alastair Fothergill have put together a remarkable entertainment that should be seen on the big screen. You will wonder how they were able to get so intimately close to the animals.

They show lions tackling their prey but wisely have not shown them tearing into their kill. And stay for the credits when the lions and the supporting cast get their “credits.” “African Cats” provides a perfect family outing. But it is not only for kids: It is a breathtaking and stirring safari for all of us. I, for one, loved the gamboling aardvarks.