JollyBuzz

Movie Review: The Kings of Summer (2013)

Directed by: Jordan Vogt-Roberts

Written by: Chris Galletta

Rated: R

Running Time: 93 min.​

Release Date: May 31, 2013

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Cast:​

Nick Robinson as Joe

Gabriel Basso as Patrick

Moises Arias as Biaggio

Nick Offerman as Frank Toy

Megan Mullally as Mrs. Keenan

​”The Kings of Summer” follows three teenage boys (Joe, Patrick, and Biaggio) who decide to exert their independence one summer by building their own house in the woods and embarking on a life apart from their parents. Joe Toy, the leader of the group, is having issues with his father. Having recently lost his mother, he finds that his father, Frank, is very impatient with his mischief-making and irresponsibility. When he forgets all of his tools outside, his father grounds him and gives him an excruciatingly early bedtime. 

​His best friend, Patrick, is literally allergic to his parents. He actually gets  hives from being around his parents too long. Imagine if your parents were the biggest nerds on earth, and every day you had to tolerate their nerdy, goody two-shoes ways. That would be the Keenans. 

​Biaggio is the third part of this trio only by accident. He is a smaller-than-average teenage boy who is very much a misfit. His ears stick out, his nose is too big, and he’s very strange. No one really knows who he is or where he comes from; he just appears out of nowhere and startles everyone.

​Joe convinces Patrick to join him on his enterprise and Biaggio…well Biaggio just appears and stays. The boys pilfer supplies to build the house and spend each day constructing the house. Finally, when it is ready, they disappear from their family homes. When they are finally on their own, they find it exciting at first. No one is waking them up, making them do chores, or judging them. Difficulties do arise (finding food, for example), but they manage to find their own way and the three friends forge a strong bond. 

But as will happen with so many friends, a girl gets in the way. Joe invites his crush to the house and in the end, she falls for Patrick. The two boys end up fighting over her and Joe finds himself in the house alone. ​Meanwhile, their parents and the police are trying to find the boys.​

“The Kings of Summer” is a delightful, coming-of-age film. It premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews and will be released at the end of May. The writing and direction of the film show a lot of promise for newcomers Vogt-Roberts and Galletta. Helped along by seasoned actors (and real-life spouses) Offerman and Mullally, the film is a true delight. The younger actors are phenomenal and I’m sure we will be seeing more of them in the future.​

NIck Robinson is perfect as Joe. His performance of an angry teen is actually understated and quite believable. Gabriel Basso (The Big C) may be a bit more experienced acting before the camera and gives a great performance as the ambivalent Patrick.​

But the break-out star of the film has to be Moises Arias as Biaggio. I would think that casting this role would have been difficult but crucial to the success of the film. And they knocked it out of the park with Arias. Every time he is onscreen, he is captivating, funny, and delightful. The funniest parts of the film and the most touching parts of the film involve him. Arias has quite a bit of experience and is going to get noticed a lot more this year with the debut of this film and his two other roles in “Despicable Me 2” and the Harrison Ford feature film “Ender’s Game” set for release in November. ​

I highly recommend checking out this light summer film. Sometimes it’s nice to see a film that makes you feel hopeful about the world and this one is it. Check your local listings and support independent filmmakers.​

Thanks for stopping by and getting buzzed. Let me know what you think of the film.​

Movie Review: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)

Directed by: Lorene Scafaria

Written by: Lorene Scafaria

Rated by: R

Running Time: 101 min

Cast:

Steve Carrell: Dodge

Nancy Carrell: Linda

Keira Knightley: Penny

 Recently there has been a spate of apocalyptic, end-of-the-world films and TV shows, some featuring colliding planets with others featuring zombies and disease. I’ve seen a few of them: Melancholia (terrible), The Walking Dead (addictive and captivating), and now Seeking a Friend For The End of The World. Steve Carrell stars as the central character, Dodge, a man whose wife literally jumps out of the car and runs away into the darkness when news hits that the world will end in 3 weeks. The cause this time is an asteroid called Matilda. When the space shuttle Deliverance fails in its last attempt to save Earth, everyone knows that the end is actually coming. As predicted, everyone deals with the news in their own way. Some abandon their jobs while others continue to go. Some decide to end their lives early rather than wait for the final explosion. And others decide to live life with wild abandon, participating in activities they would never have considered otherwise: drugs, orgies, looting.

Dodge struggles in the film to stay true to himself while those around him lose their way. After passing out in a park drunk on Windex, he finds that someone has left him in charge of their dog. Naming the dog “Sorry” after the note that was left, he takes the dog home where he meets his neighbor, Penny. She has just been abandoned by her boyfriend and is quite distraught. Due to the stress of the world situation, she has become hypersomnolent, which will become an important plot point later in the film. The two become friends and companions in the last days of their lives.

The cast is rounded out with appearances by Martin Sheen, Connie Britton, Rob Corddry, and Patton Oswalt. While this isn’t the most compelling film I’ve ever seen, it is worth seeing. The characters are real people that the audience can relate to, perhaps seeing their own possible reaction to a similar situation. The film takes a lighter approach than The Walking Dead, of course. Mainly because there aren’t any Zombies. But in this film, no matter what, the population of Earth is set to be extinct. And that is thought-provoking in and of itself. Amazingly, the director is able to tell this story without becoming mired in doom and gloom. There are even rays of hope in an otherwise helpless situation.

I liked this little film and would recommend it to round out your consumption of end-of-the-world, doomsday viewing. You can download or purchase it in my Amazon store to the right of this page or you can get it now at iTunes here:

Thanks for stopping by and getting buzzed!!

(Source: jollybuzz.org)

Movie Review: The Details (2012)

Directed and Written by: Jacob Aaron Estes

Rated: R

Running Time: 91 minutes

Cast:

Tobey Maguire as Dr. Jeff Lang

Elizabeth Banks as Nealy Lang

Kerry Washington as Rebecca

Ray Liotta as Peter

Laura Linney as Lila

Dennis Haysbert as Lincoln

 The Details is a dark comedy that is reminiscent of Heathers or Reindeer Games, involving poison, sleeping pills, adult porn, and blackmail. The story follows Jeff and Nealy, a young married couple with one child considering the addition of a second. From the outside, their lives appear idyllic: a cute little house, Jeff’s career as an obstetrician, and a newly-sodded backyard for their son to play. A rainbow even appears as the sprinkler system comes on. But underneath all of that sod, things aren’t quite so perfect.

First, a family of raccoons begins to destroy the sod each evening while the family sleeps. Jeff becomes obsessed with stopping them. As demonstrated by his Obama bumper sticker on his hybrid Prius, Jeff is not one to want to harm the animals. So he starts out with a humane trap and windchimes in the trees. He puts hot pepper underneath the sod to deter the critters from digging. But his obsession begins to take a toll on his relationship with his wife, Nealy, a relationship already under strain. Their sex life is waning, Jeff is turning more and more to internet porn, and they are fighting about his attempts to be rid of the raccoons.

Secondly, they decide to expand their house to make room for a possible second child, but their plans are not approved by the local building commission. Despite not having a permit, the two decide to forge ahead anyway. In an effort to keep their neighbor happy so that she doesn’t complain, Jeff decides to deliver a beautiful plant with a preemptive apology. The neighbor, Lila, is touched by the plant and also by Jeff’s attention to her. Lila, it turns out, is a “whackadoodle” who lives with her cat Matthew and is mentally unstable.

Third, Jeff has a beautiful, sexy best friend, Rebecca. In a weak moment, he turns to her for advice. But after a few drinks and some weed, they succumb to their unrequited attraction to each other, forgetting about their respective spouses for the moment. But remember, Rebecca is married to Peter (played by Ray Liotta) and you just know that can’t be good. Anybody see Goodfellas?

Jeff likes to release steam by playing in a local basketball league where he befriends Lincoln. As he gets to know Lincoln better, Jeff finds out he’s had some bad luck in his life. He lost out on a promising basketball career and never really got himself back on track, and he is currently suffering from End Stage Renal Disease and is on dialysis awaiting a kidney for transplant.

As you can see, there are quite a few stories going on in this film, and Jeff is struggling to manage all of them. Tobey Maguire does an amazing job of being both sympathetic and despicable at the same time. Elizabeth Banks has wonderful comedic timing which we already knew from her role on 30 Rock. Dennis Haysbert is heartbreaking as the good man trying to make the right decisions. And Kerry Washington is perfect as the voluptuous best friend that no man can resist.

But to me, the breakout performances of the film come from Ray Liotta and Laura Linney. Based on previous roles, I had a preconceived notion about Liotta’s character. I expected him to be a sociopath and a gangster, but he surprised me. He’s actually the only moral character in the whole film. And Laura Linney is superb as the crazy neighbor obsessed with her cat. The fact that she names the cat Matthew is very telling about her feeling that the cat is more human than cat. And her house looks like a time capsule from the 50’s along with her hair and clothes.

In the end, the film has you asking yourself what you would do if you found out that your husband was involved in murder, infidelity, animal cruelty, and blackmail? Would you expose him and let him get his just desserts or would you keep it between you and go on as though nothing happened? How would your decisions affect the lives of others around you? What constitutes doing the right thing: the action that follows the letter of the law or the action that harms the least number of people? Things aren’t so black and white in The Details. I think it’s definitely worth the watch.

You can watch it in theaters on November 2. Thanks for stopping by and getting buzzed! Keep coming back!

(Source: jollybuzz.org)

Movie Review: Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Directed by: Wes Anderson

Written by: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola

Running Time: 94 min

Rated: PG-13

Starring:

Bill Murray as Walt Bishop

Frances McDormand as Laura Bishop

Bruce Willis as Captain Sharp

Edward Norton as Scout Master Randy Ward

Tilda Swinton as Social Services

Jared Gilman as Sam Shakusky

Kara Hayward as Suzy Bishop

Jason Schwartzman as Cousin Ben

 In 1965, two 12 year olds decide to leave their lives behind and run away to a hidden inlet on the island of Penzance. Or so goes the plot for Wes Anderson’s latest film, Moonrise Kingdom. The two kids, Sam and Suzy, meet when Sam sneaks backstage at a play and finds Suzy dressed as a raven. When she tells him that she cut her hand on a mirror when she lost her temper, you can see in Sam’s eyes that he is smitten. The two are pen pals for a year and hatch a plan to run away together.

Sam is an orphan and is a member of the Khaki Scouts, a very serious group of campers that appear to be modeled on the military and, of course, the Boy Scouts of America. He and his troop are camping at Camp Ivanhoe when his scout master, Randy Ward, notices that  Sam has “flown the coop”. An APB is put out on Sam, and the troop, along with the local police captain, begin a thorough search of the island.

Meanwhile, Suzy has also fled from  her home, carrying with her the necessities: a kitten, kitten food, a record player and her favorite record, a suitcase full of stolen library books, her lefty scissors, and her binoculars. She meets Sam in a meadow and follows him to an inlet where they set up camp. Both on the line between childhood and puberty, the two settle into life together. Sam impresses Suzy with his camping ability, and Suzy is compassionate when Sam reveals he sometimes wets the bed. After discovering Suzy’s stash of letters from Sam, the search party steps up their efforts to find the two lovebirds.

I have always been a fan of Wes Anderson’s films for their unique style. Each time I see one, I spend days afterward contemplating his approach. The camera pans from one room to the other in the houses as if you are looking into a dollhouse. The nature of living right next to other people and yet separate at the same time is clearly demonstrated with this technique. The settings looks like old fashioned paintings that have come to life with the characters. The colors are antiqued, almost sepia toned. The actors have their usual expressionless faces we have come to expect from Anderson’s films, and yet so much emotion is being conveyed.

Once again, he has assembled a first class cast. Bill Murray and Frances McDormand played two attorneys who are married but just going through the motions. Bruce Willis is the local unmarried police captain having an affair with Frances McDormand’s character. Edward Norton is sincere as the serious scout master. But the breakout performances of the film come from the actors playing Sam and Suzy, the star crossed lovers. I was mesmerized as I watched them fall in love for the first time in their young lives, as they carefully navigated the delicate balance between childhood and adulthood.

Another area in which I feel that Wes Anderson’s excels is in his choice of music. After watching this film 4 times in a row (yes, I love it that much!), I downloaded the soundtrack. I’m not sure it holds up as a whole, but the parts are excellent. First there is the song that Sam and Suzy dance to on the beach, Francoise Hardy’s Le Temp de L’Amour. I know it sounds silly but I love to put it on and act like I know what I’m saying when I try to sing along. Then there is the Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. I put this on for my 6 year old and he loved it. It reminds me of how much I used to love listening to Peter and The Wolf when I was a kid. I love watching him as he discovers the nuances of each instrument and how they come together to make magic.

I highly recommend both the movie and the soundtrack. This is one movie I’m going to purchase to watch again and again. It’s like a good book. In fact, I’m going to purchase all of Wes Anderson’s movies and revisit them. Let me know what you think of the movie after you watch it. You can get it from my Amazon store on the right of this page or you can download it from iTunes here:

You can also get the soundtrack from my store or download it here:

Thanks for stopping by and getting buzzed! Come back often!

(Source: jollybuzz.org)

Movie Review: The Deep Blue Sea (2011)

Directed by: Terence Davies

Adapted by Terence Davies from a play by Terence Rattigan

Rated: R

Running Time: 98 min

Cast:

Rachel Weisz as Hester Collyer

Tom Hiddleston as Freddie Page

Simon Russell Beale as Sir William Collyer

 Set in post-WWII London, The Deep Blue Sea is follows Hester, a young woman married to a much older, wealthy judge who falls in love with a younger man. The film opens on a scene of Hester in a very grim apartment. The furnishings and wallpaper suggest that she is quite destitute. Beautiful music plays as she places her suicide note on the mantle, swallows some pills, puts money in the gas furnace, and settles on a blanket on the floor to await her death. As she floats in and out of consciousness, she remembers scenes from her life. As I said, she is married to a much older man. As his wife, she lived in a beautiful home with expensive clothes, but she was living a life of quiet desperation. The two appeared to live side by side rather than actually together. She also remembers the beginning of her affair with Freddie, a young war hero who is also a friend of her husband. There is a breathtaking scene between Hester and Freddie as they make love. The camera is above them and slowly spins as it also pans over their bodies. At first, their nude bodies are entwined and as time passes, Freddie slowly turns his back to her. I have never seen a shot like this and I thought it was a wonderful way of expressing the indifference Freddie begins to feel for Hester.

As the audience wonders if this is the end for Hester, her landlady and a neighbor of shady repute find her and save her life. As she recovers, Freddie returns from a trip and finds the suicide note. Although she begs him not to read it, he does so and becomes enraged, convinced that she attempted to take her own life simply because he forgot her birthday. Hester follows him to a pub and begs him to come home. This scene is excruciating to watch. It is clear that Hester no longer has any pride at all. Even though she knows that her love for Freddie is unrequited, she can’t seem to help herself.

Her husband, William, reappears after being summoned by her landlady. He clearly still loves her and quite possibly would take her back. It is heartbreaking to watch as she attempts small talk, all the while William is clearly uncomfortable in her new squalid surroundings. He wants to help her, but they both realize it’s no use. Hester has gone down the rabbit hole and there is nothing to be done for her.

The film is a study of the dynamics of love affairs when only one person is in love. William clearly loves Hester, but her feelings for him never venture beyond fondness and respect. Her passionate love for Freddie causes her to walk away from a life of privilege to a life of absolute poverty. But just like a person addicted to a dangerous substance, Hester can’t seem to give up Freddie.

Rachel Wiesz is literally luminous as Hester. She has grown into herself and has never looked more beautiful, even as she tries to kill herself. Her acting appears effortless; I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.

Tom Hiddleston’s Freddie is despicable, but you can understand why she loves him. He is the exact opposite of her husband: funny, gregarious, friendly, and passionate. But he is also quite narcissistic and immature. He is clearly not ready to make a commitment to anything or anyone.

And Simon Russell Beale is able to say more with a look or with the movement of his body than other lesser actors could say with words. He is quite sympathetic which makes Hester’s transgression all the more egregious.

The Deep Blue Sea is available now on DVD or Netflix Instant Streaming. If you like a quiet, contemplative film, then this is the one for you. It may not hold your attention if you need more dialogue or action, but it is definitely worth taking the time to watch.

Thanks for stopping by and getting buzzed!

(Source: jollybuzz.org)

Music Review: “Babel” by Mumford & Sons

The wait for the new Mumford & Sons album is finally over, and it was well worth it. I never thought I could love an album more than their previous one “Sigh No More” but this one might change that. A folk band from England, Mumford & Sons are extraordinarily talented musicians in every way. The sound that they produce from their instruments is unlike any I’ve ever heard. Rather than the typical setup in most bands, the members each play a variety of instruments, some at the same time. Marcus Mumford (vocals, guitar, drums, mandolin) has a voice so unique. I can’t imagine a better union of music and vocals. He is able to evoke the honesty and vulnerabilities present in the lyrics in such a stirring way. He is truly a master as you watch him play guitar, sing, and use his foot to play the drums. Ben Lovett (vocals, keyboard, accordion, drums), “Country” Winston Marshall (vocals, banjo, dobro, guitar), and Ted Dwane (vocals, string bass, drums, guitar) round out the band, each a huge talent in their own right, even though Mumford is the most visible of the band due to being the lead vocalist.

(Source: jollybuzz.org)

Movie Review: Arbritrage (2012)

Director: Nicholas Jarecki

Rated: R

Running Time: 107 minutes

Cast:

Richard Gere as Robert Miller

Susan Sarandon as Ellen Miller

Brit Marling as Brooke Miller

Tim Roth as Detective Michael Bryer

Laetitia Casta as Julie Cote

Nate Parker as Jimmy Grant

According to Investopedia, the definition of arbitrage is:

The simultaneous purchase and sale of an asset in order to profit from a difference in the price. It is a trade that profits by exploiting price differences of identical or similar financial instruments, on different markets or in different forms. Arbitrage exists as a result of market inefficiencies; it provides a mechanism to ensure prices do not deviate substantially from fair value for long periods of time.

 When I first sat down to watch Arbitrage, the latest film starring Richard Gere, I thought I would be watching something similar the the Wall Street movies or a story loosely based on Bernie Madoff, but I was happy to find that this movie is something else entirely. The story centers around Robert Miller, a hedge fund magnate in the process of selling his company. Due to an error of judgment, he finds himself $400 million in the red. In order to complete the sale of the company, he turns to a friend to temporarily “plug the hole” until the papers can be signed. At the same time, his company is undergoing an audit which must be complete prior to the sale. Unfortunately, his friend is becoming impatient and wants to reclaim his money.

At the same time, Robert celebrates his 60th birthday surrounding by a loving family in a beautiful home. He makes a sentimental speech about the importance of family. But even early on, we see cracks in this perfect facade. There are subtleties that suggest he is not quite the devoted father, husband or grandfather that he appears. For example, when he comes home for the party, he is greeted at the door by his manservant who surreptitiously hands him small gifts for his grandchildren although it appears that he is the one who bought them. Another crack appears when he explains to his daughter, Brooke, that the reason he wants to sell the company is to spend time with his family, to which she replies “And do what?” indicating that he has never been very present in their lives. Brooke works for his company as the Chief Financial Officer and is highly driven and intelligent. His son also works for him, but appears to be somewhat of a disappointment to his father.

Not long after his emotional speech to his family, he leaves the house to supposedly go back to the office. Instead, he arrives at the beautiful apartment of his mistress, Julie, a painter that he clearly supports. She is french, sexy, and passionate. But she is also tired of being the other woman and wants more from the relationship.

Up to this point in the film, it all seems familiar and predictable. A powerful man who has a lot of secrets finds that his life begins to unravel. And that part is true, but this film is so much more. I want to be careful, because this is the type of film that you don’t want to spoil. I am rarely shocked by a film, but this one shocked me. There are twists and turns that I never saw coming. And the acting is superb. Richard Gere gives one of the best performances of his career. He is at once loving, cold, calculating, scared, and smug. He is quite believable as a man who wants it all and intends to have it no matter who has to suffer. But a person can only keep the wolves at bay for so long, and soon his psyche begins to unravel.

Susan Sarandon is as beautiful and compelling as I’ve ever seen her. She is an attentive mother, wife, and philanthropist. But she is not the usual vapid character that we so often in films married to powerful men. She is a person in her own right.

Brit Marling shines as the daughter. She oozes intelligence and integrity, and she is spot on in her portrayal of an ambitious young woman on Wall Street. We will definitely be seeing more from this actress.

Tim Roth gives a strong performance as the police detective. He is restrained, but shows so much emotion just with this facial expressions. I’ve always been a fan, so I really enjoyed his screen time which wasn’t very much, sadly.

But the breakout performance of the film was by Nate Parker as Jimmy, a young man whose late father was an employee of Robert Miller. We’re never quite sure what his father did for Miller, but it’s pretty evident that he was a close confidante and trusted associate. The kind of person you would help clean up a messy situation. Parker gives such a raw performance as Jimmy that we forget he’s acting. I looked him up on IMDb and he’s been in a lot of movies, including The Secret Life of Bees, but this role may bring him to the attention of the world as one of the finest young actors around.

I strongly recommend watching Arbitrage. It is currently in theaters or you can watch it at home through iTunes . Get a bowl of popcorn, turn off the phone, and settle in for the ride of your life!

Thanks for stopping by and getting buzzed!!

(Source: jollybuzz.org)

DVD Review: Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012)

Director: John Madden

Rated: PG-13

Running Time: 123 minutes

Cast:

Judi Dench as Evelyn Greenslade

Tom Wilkinson as Graham Dashwood

Maggie Smith as Muriel Donnelly

Bill Nighy as Douglas Ainslie

Penelope Wilton as Jean Ainslie

Celia Imrie as Madge Hardcastle

Ronald Pickup as Norman Cousins

Dev Patel as Sonny Kapoor

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (For The Elderly and Beautiful) is an ensemble film about the lives of 7 strangers (well, actually 2 are a married couple) from England who come together, under very different circumstances, to India. Each is escaping something and each is searching for something. The film is narrated by Evelyn, a new widow who has had to sell her home to pay her late husband’s debt. She has never traveled alone, so she is slightly unsure of herself when she decides to set out for India.

Graham is recently retired from the government and decides to return to India, a place he lived when he was younger. Immediately we get the sense that he searching for someone from his past.

Muriel is a retired nanny and housekeeper who has recently suffered a fall and requires surgery. Due to the healthcare system in England, though, she must be put on a waiting list. She discovers that the only way she can have the surgery soon is to travel to India and have it there. This is quite distressing for her as she is quite bigoted.

Douglas and Jean are a married couple in their “golden” years. After investing their retirement money in their daughter’s failed business, they realize that all they can afford is a small, plain apartment. Jean is quite distress by this and blames her husband for the situation. Douglas seems to be quietly resigned to the situation and to the constant barrage of negative comments from Jean. In an effort to make their situation better, they decide to travel to India.

Madge is living with her daughter and her husband helping to care for their two young children. Clearly she feels that they are taking advantage of her, so she decides to go on an adventure. Her pattern has always been to try to find a rich husband and this time is no different. She sets out for India on her quest.

Finally, Norman is very lonely and seeking companionship in all the wrong places. He is clearly in his 70’s and signs up for various dating services for younger people. When that doesn’t work out, he decides to give India a try.

 All 7 of them meet on the way to India where they are met with quite a culture shock. The film does a beautiful job of depicting the teeming crowds, overwhelming smells, and the utterly disorienting nature of a foreign country. Evelyn describes it as an “assault on the senses. A riot of noise and color, heat and motion.” India is described as “like a wave;  resist and you’ll be knocked over. Dive into it and you’ll swim out the other side.” Luckily, Graham lived in India 40 years ago and remembers enough to get them on the right track.

All of them are staying at the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (For The Elderly and Beautiful) in Jaipur. The brochure presented the hotel as quite luxurious, but when they arrive, they find that the brochure was more of a “goal” than a reality.  The hotel is managed by a young, enthusiastic man by the name of Sonny Kapoor who has recently inherited the hotel from his late father. His creed is “Everything will be alright in the end. If it’s not alright, then it is most definitely not the end.” And things are definitely not alright. The phones do not work, the plumbing leaks, and there are birds in some of the rooms.

The guests soon set out on their own agendas. Graham begins his search for his past, distressed to find that the India of his youth no longer exists. Evelyn exerts her newfound independence by finding a job as a consultant in a call center. Norman and Madge try out the local scene in search of companionship. Muriel undergoes surgery and begins her recovery. And Douglas and Jean’s marital strife rises to the surface along with the myriad of mental issues plaguing Jean.

We also follow Sonny as he tries to remain optimistic while the hotel literally falls down around him. He also finds himself at odds with his mother over his choice of girlfriend. In an age old story, he wants to marry for love and she wants him to have an arranged marriage with a suitable girl.

All of this is just to set up the plot of the film. As you can see, there are quite a few story lines and characters to develop. In my opinion, the film bites off more than it can chew. While it is a beautiful film to watch, with the many colors and sights of India, I think it would have been better to have fewer characters and deeper development. The film can’t quite decide what it wants to be: a movie about strangers in a strange land or the plight of the young in a country full of outdated traditions.

Having said that, the acting is superb as you might expect from such an all-star veteran cast. Judi Dench and Bill Nighy are both vibrant and beautiful in their portrayals. Tom Wilkinson is restrained yet heartbreaking. Penelope Wilton is perfect as the neurotic wife overcome with anxiety. Maggie Smith manages to bring humanity to an old woman with deeply held prejudices against anything and anyone foreign.

The only complaint I have with the acting was with Dev Patel. He was too frenetic and seemed to be a caricature, not an authentic person. I found his scenes hard to bear.

The country of India is a character in the film as well, and she is at once beautiful and strange. The director and cinematographer do a wonderful job of letting the audience experience the onslaught of stimuli that occurs when a stranger is in a foreign land. I felt like I could feel that crowd pushing past me and smell the strange odors around me. The colors were vibrant and the people were lovely.

I liked the movie, although I feel it could have been 30 minutes shorter. The last bit drags some, which is a shame because there are some touching story lines. If you liked Love Actually, then you might like this movie. It is available now on DVD in my Amazon store in the upper right of this page or you can download here at iTunes .

Thanks for stopping by and getting buzzed! See you next time!

(Source: jollybuzz.org)

Movie Review: “Jucy” (A Womantic Comedy of Platonic Proportions)

Thanks to Twitter, I discovered the most adorable little Australian independent film called “Jucy” (2010), directed by Louise Alston. Jucy refers to a combination of the names of the two main characters: Jackie and Lucy (played by real life best friends Cindy Nelson and Francesca Gasteen). Jackie and Lucy have been best friends for most of their lives and are now in the mid-20’s and working in a video store. Jackie lives alone in her funky apartment and is interested in make-up and fashion. She suffers from some sort of mental illness for which she takes medication and is in therapy (I’m guessing Bipolar Disorder). Lucy lives with her sister and dreams of making it as an actress, but she struggles with her weight and her confidence.

The two friends spend all of their time together,  so much so that they are even accused by an acquaintance of being “straight lesbians” and having a “womance”. After a cast party for the local theater group, the two friends wonder if their friendship is keeping them from moving forward in their lives. As a challenge, they decide to find a boyfriend for Lucy and a great job for Jackie before the next cast party in 2 months. Tensions begin to mount when both girls audition for a part in the local production of Jane Eyre. It is revealed that Lucy’s last experience on the stage did not go smoothly and old anxieties begin to surface. Meanwhile, Jackie decides on her own to stop taking her psychiatric medication. As she spirals out of control, Lucy realizes that the friendship might not be healthy for either of them. The two “break up” after an explosive fight that results in a few too many truths being revealed.

The film explores the complexities of the bond between female friends as they grow into adulthood. There is a comfort in being with someone who knows you so well that there is a sort of shorthand between you. But there is only so much intimacy that can come of a platonic friendship. At some point, the two friends begin to need more in their lives and it might mean the end of the friendship to make it happen.

The idea for “Jucy” came about after Louise Alston cast best friends Cindy Nelson and Francesca Gasteen in her first feature film. Alston was intrigued by the closeness of the two women and realized a bigger story was there. Alston even began referring to them as “Frindy”. In order to develop the story, the two friends spent a lot of time with Alston telling her about the details of their lives. Even though a lot of the film is fictionalized, certain aspects were worked into the script. For example, Cindy (who plays Jackie) was diagnosed with manic depression and social anxiety panic disorder several years ago and was enthusiastic about the chance to accurately portray a young woman with these disorders. Francesca was excited to be able to demonstrate that a woman doesn’t have to be defined by her weight; her beauty can come from an inner strength and confidence.

Shot in 14 days in subtropical Brisbane, this little film is a real triumph. I highly recommend this film for anyone who has ever had a best friend. You can watch it now on Netflix Instant streaming video.

Thanks for stopping by and getting buzzed!

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(Source: jollybuzz.org)