Results for your search term "La Grand".

Tomorrowland

Oh George, you’re killin’ me! I really wanted to love this movie, or at least like it a lot. Instead, I liked it a little. It’s certainly a fine choice for a family flick this long holiday weekend; It has a commendable message, and a decent shot of girl power. But the two-hour journey borders on bland and boring, despite the appearance of flying saucers, jet packs, magical pins, George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, and glimpses of a Disney-utopia-esque place known as “Tomorrowland” that exists somewhere in time and space.

The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came To Eden

This documentary recounts the strange but true tale of a group of Europeans in the 1930s who decided to leave the insanity of the modern world behind and move to one of the smallest of the Galapagos, the uninhabited Floreana Island. It began with just one couple, Berlin doctor Friedrich Ritter and his mistress and acolyte Dore Strauch. Friedrich was obsessed with Nietzsche and saw the world’s growing capitalism as a sign that society was doomed. But as soon as the press found out about the couple, they began publishing stories of the new Adam and Eve and attracted others to the island, much to Freidrich’s chagrin.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

In his latest fabulously outrageous film The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson introduces us to Gustave H (Ralph Feinnes), the concierge to end all concierges who takes enterprising lobby boy Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori) under his wing. The movie is visually stunning and laugh out loud hilarious, and what totally sold me was its witty use of language and music to give another layer to its story set in a first class hotel in a fictional eastern European country in that elegant era between the wars. And the chemistry between the older, wiser hotelier and his young protégé is delicious! What begins as a mentoring relationship quickly turns to a zany buddy romp when one of the hotel’s wealthy guests (Tilda Swinton) is murdered and Gustave is thrown in jail. And only Zero can save him.

Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Bir zamanlar Anadolu’da)

Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Once Upon a Time in Anatolia begins with what seems to be an impossible task — finding a buried body in the vast expanse of Anatolia, miles and miles of empty landscape near a town called Keskin, in the dark of night. Several cars filled with police officers, a prosecutor, a doctor and the brothers who already confessed to the murder drive through the darkness, converging on a series of desolate sites. The brothers try to remember where they buried the body, one claiming to have been asleep when the deed was done, and the other saying he was drunk and only remembers a fountain (of which there are dozens) and a “round” tree.

The Back-up Plan

If you liked Jennifer Lopez in The Wedding Planner or Maid in Manhattan, then you’ll surely like The Back-up Plan. It follows a satisfying romantic comedy formula, even if it doesn’t offer up anything terribly exciting and new. It’s sweet, has moments that any single, married, or relationship-challenged adult should be able to identify with, cringe at, and laugh at. And it features a really cute leading man in Alex O’Loughlin.

Youth

Italian writer/director Paolo Sorrentino was responsible for one of my favorite foreign films of the last few years, The Great Beauty aka La grande bellezza. That film dealt with a Roman writer’s shifting view of his life following his 65th birthday bash. In Sorrentino’s newest film Youth, he again looks at men of a certain age, coming to terms with their place in the world. This one is in English and stars Michael Caine as Fred and Harvey Keitel as Mick, two long time friends who are vacationing in a luxurious alpine spa.

Quickie Review: S#!%HOUSE

Okay, so maybe the title piqued my curiosity more than it deserved to. But I simply had to know if a little indie called Sh*thouse might be worth a sh*t. Fortunately, the film is not as crappy as its title. And it obviously struck a chord with judges of the (COVID-canceled) SXSW film festival, where it won the 2020 Grand Jury Prize for Narrative Film, probably for its ‘Before Sunset on a college campus’ vibe. The film skews arty and didn’t really float my mainstream boat, but I can see how it might appeal to up-and-coming auteurs who relate to young filmmaker Cooper Raiff who wrote, directed, produced and stars in Sh*thouse (aka S#!%HOUSE).

Review: Martin Eden

Adapted from a Jack London autobiographical novel, Martin Eden is the story of a young working class Italian man who accidentally falls into the lives of the upper class and decides that he deserves a better life, and that writing will get him there. Back when there were still live film festivals, Luca Marinelli (The Great Beauty, The Old Guard) was deservedly recognized as Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for his performance as the title character. His transformation from itinerate sailor to acclaimed writer feels like the stuff of classic Italian neorealistic cinema, somewhat a mirror image of The Conformist. Situated in a societal shift where socialism is shaking up the lives of the bourgeois, Martin stands apart, viewing both sides from his own distinct perspective. The film definitely embraces 20th century European intellectual pretensions, and despite being a familiar poor kid makes good story, it’s absorbing and entertaining.

Review: Waikiki

There aren’t many films directed by indigenous people. Their voices are largely missing from the cinematic world. But still it’s somewhat shocking that Waikiki which is premiering today at the urbanworld Film Festival is the first narrative feature written and directed by a Native Hawaiian filmmaker. Writer/director Christopher Kahunahana’s vision of the Honolulu beach neighborhood is a far cry from the usual fun in the sun take. His central character Kea (Danielle Zalopany) is a young woman struggling to keep her sanity as her world falls apart. She’s in an abusive relationship, living in her van, working three jobs, and her past is haunting her. Then she hits a homeless man with her car.

Review: Resisterhood

Resisterhood begins in the aftermath of the 2016 election as women (and men) gather in Washington to march on Day One of the Trump presidency. There we meet the six resisters the documentary follows for the next two years – Psychologist Jean Gearon, 84-year-old Margaret Morrison, Congressman Luis Gutiérrez and his wife Soraida, lesbian soccer star Joanna Lohman, and Muslim grandmother Mimi Hassanein. The film traces each of their political evolutions from the march until the 2018 mid-term elections. While it is a film that will mainly be preaching to the choir, it’s also an inspiring story that may give people on the fence a reason to get out and vote. And for that alone, I hope a lot of people will see it.