Goodbye Solo

Co-Writer/director Ramin Bahrani ("Chop Shop") could learn some lessons from the late John Cassavetes who eschewed having his characters speak each other's names because it's not how people talk in real life. In Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Senegalese cab driver Solo (Souleymane Sy Savane) is an effusively optimistic famliy man training to become an airline attendant when he picks up a cantankerous and depressed 70-year-old passenger named William (Red West). William contracts Solo for a thousand dollars to drive him one-way up to the mountainous Blowing Rock National Park in two weeks. William's suicidal plan is obvious, and the two-week timeline gives Solo plenty of time to befriend the old codger with an idea of changing the old man's mind before the fateful day arrives. William and Solo's step-daughter Alex (Diana Franco Galindo) speak his name with such a repetitive frequency that the all suspension of disbelief is smothered. Film critic A.O. Scott famously misnamed "Goodbye Solo" as a "Neo-neo-realist" film. Rather, the film represents a barely competent script made gripping by an inspired director and two equally talented actors. Ramin Bahrani is a promising filmmaker who needs to work much harder at crafting dialogue and complete stories, and not believe the false praise being bestowed on him by the A.O. Scotts of the world.     
(Roadside Attractions) Not Rated. 91 mins. (C) (Two Stars)

The New Twenty

Co-writer/director Chris Mason Johnson's amateur debut effort could be credited with creating a new genre of pretentious triteness tailored to define the pop slang word "Redonkulous." Five twenty something New York characters tweak out their 2006 urban existence under the boldface stereotypes that the script demands. Our gang of ennui-ridden friends-since-college include Ben (Colin Fickes), a not-so-closeted gay guy who vainly tries to get laid via the internet, Julie (Nicole Bilderback), a female Asian corporate conqueror and her stud muffin venture-capitalist fiancé Andrew (Ryan Locke), Julie's younger gay brother Tony (Andrew Wei Lin) and Felix (Thomas Sadoski), the group's token junkie. The film's message seems to be that modern society's greedy (heterosexual), metrosexual (celibate), and gay (anxiety ridden) citizens all belong in therapy or rehab. It's a vision of a generation with nothing to offer. The only thematic relief comes from the falseness of the precept.
Not Rated. 91 mins. (D) (One Star)

The Cake Eaters

An old-fashioned minor key drama, "The Cake Eaters" is the exact type of film that is the cornerstone of modern American Independent cinema. Seasoned actress Mary Stuart Masterson makes a notable directorial debut with Jayce Bartok's story about two small-town families in upstate New York. The impossibly romantic Kristen Stewart plays Georgia Kaminski, a terminally ill 15-year-old girl whose over-protective art photographer mother insists on using Georgia as the sole model for her photographs. While in the care of her understanding grandmother Marge (wonderfully played by Elizabeth Ashley) Georgia meets Beagle (played by Aaron Stanford) and strikes up a romantic liaison. Little does Georgia know that her grandmother is involved in a long-term affair with Beagle's dad Easy (played by Bruce Dern). The recent death of Easy's wife Cici from cancer, and the belated return of his son Guy (played by Jayce Bartok) coincides with the romantic inertia that blossoms. Naturalistic performances from its terrific ensemble of actors, concise camerawork and elegant storytelling coalesce to form a truly inspired independent film.

(7-57 Releasing) Not Rated. 95 mins. (A) (Five Stars)

Lake City

Sissy Spacek is the kind of actress who can do no wrong, so it's especially disheartening to see her appear in a poorly constructed and cliché-riddled drama like "Lake City." Spacek plays Maggie, the mother to her troubled son Billy (Troy Garity). Both are haunted by the death of Billy's brother in a car accident years ago. These days Billy is on the run with his young son Clayton from a mob of drug dealers whose stash was taken by Clayton's lowlife mother Hope (Drea de Matteo). Billy and Clayton take refuge on Maggie's Virginia farm that she's considering selling. Dave Matthews makes an appearance as a nasty drug lord and David Carradine plays a good ole boy mechanic with a knack for playing guitar. The story collapses in a guffaw inducing third act climax that feels like it belongs to a different movie. "Lake City" is a throwaway film with a cast it doesn't deserve.

(Screen Media) Rated R. 93 mins. (C-)

Happy Go-Lucky (2008 New York Film Festival)

Director Mike Leigh creates an air-headed vision of inner contentment in the guise of 30-year-old British primary school teacher and student driver Poppy (played by Sally Hawkins). Poppy is so good at putting on a happy face that you sense she may be taking advantage of chemical assistance. Though chirpy Poppy is able to mend the ways of a young misfit student in her class, she has a significantly tougher time with her borderline-racist driving teacher Scott (exquisitely played by Eddie Marsan), who becomes the heel of the movie's social joke about the world’s happy-haves and the unhappy-have-nots. Poppy's inability to help one so desperate as Scott, becomes the central theme that breaks the narrative from justifying Poppy’s selfish nature or lacking intelligence. The movie does transform the audience into a conduit for some movie magic bliss, but "you have to like a film for the right reasons." Leigh (most famous for his sensational family drama "Secrets and Lies") used his traditional system of improvising with his actors for an extended period to develop the story and performances. It's a naturalistic approach at odds with a puff piece about the small glories of keeping an upbeat attitude regardless of circumstance.

Rated R. 118 mins. (C) (Two Stars)

The Wrestler (2008 New York Film Festival)

After disappointing audiences with "The Fountain" (2006), Darren Aronofsky bounces back with an affecting portrait of an aging wrestler (brilliantly played by Mickey Rourke in a career topping performance) coming to grips with his waning health and need to reconnect with his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood). Years of working in the wrestling circuit have taken their toll on Randy "the Ram" Robinson's heavily scarred body, when he takes one last stab at the pro wrestling circuit. Broke and lonely, Randy frequently visits stripper Cassidy/Pam (Marisa Tomei) at the club where she dances to woo her into his life. With limited options available to him, Randy reaches out to his disenfranchised daughter Stephanie, who he has never been able to support. Aronofsky invokes a fierce blue-collar integrity that supports the idiosyncrasies of the story's pro wrestling milieu. Marisa Tomei gives a fearless performance as a nude dancer whose days of entertaining are winding down. "The Wrestler" is an independent gem.

Rated R. 109 mins. (B+) (Four Stars)

Wendy and Lucy (The 2008 New York Film Festival)

A folksy story about a poor disenfranchised girl with a lost dog, "Wendy and Lucy" is auteur Kelly Reichardt's similarly simplistic follow-up to her overrated debut "Old Joy." Stuck with a broken down car in Portland on her way to find work in Alaska, Wendy (embodied by Michelle Williams) gets caught shoplifting dog food at a local grocery store and things go downhill from there. As a muted commentary on the reality of living as a refugee in one's own country, the film doesn't delve far enough into the relationships of its enigmatic character. Still, Michelle Williams' thoughtful performance is reason enough to see this mediocre minimalist independent drama.

Not Rated. 80 mins. (C) (Two Stars)    

Filth & Wisdom

If not for the quixotic presence of Gogol Bordello lead singer Eugene Holtz, Madonna's directorial debut would have no entertainment value, and it doesn't have much with Holtz in a slightly altered version of himself. Holtz plays A.K. a Ukrainian London-dwelling BDSM prostitute by day and gypsy rock singer by night. A.K.'s friends, ballet dancer-turning-pole-stripper Holly (Holly Weston), martyr-complex-pharmacist Juliette (Vicky McLure), and aged blind gay poet Professor Flynn (Richard E. Grant), fill in disconnected subplots that take up every strained moment of narrative stagnation co-writer/director Madonna inflicts on her audience. Fans of Eugene Holtz may get a brief charge from his Ukrainian-inflected irony that saturates every word he utters, but all others should beware of giving this sloppy film the time of day.

Not Rated, 81 mins. (D)

Red

Revenge, and the availability of firearms in America, are the topics of a thoughtful allegory in this independent film that wisely leans on the capable shoulders of Brian Cox as its protagonist. Set in a timeless rural part of Portland—although appropriately filmed largely in Fillmore, California—the story follows general store owner and widower Avery Ludlow (Cox) whose dog Red is shot by three local teenage thugs as he fishes with his loyal dog beside him. Avery’s slowburn anger gradually rises after he tracks down the murderer’s father to politely request an admission and apology from the boy that is not forthcoming. The film is based on Jack Ketchum’s novel, and directors Trygve Allister Diesen and Lucky McKee keep the material condensed on small scale in order to project its wider implications. "Red" is a powerful independent movie deserving of more attention than it will likely receive.

Rated R, 95 mins. (B+) (Four Stars)

Frozen River

Debut director Courtney Hunt’s drama of poverty, illegal immigration and American Indian dystopia won overrated praise at Sundance that resulted in its limited distribution. Suffering from an underdeveloped script and amateur performances from its supporting cast, "Frozen River’ is set on the U.S./Canadian border town of New York State’s St. Lawrence River where trailer-dwelling mom Ray (well played by Melissa Leo) raises her two sons without the support of her recent abandoning husband. Ray works at a discount store when fate introduces her to the world of immigrant smuggling via a local Mohawk Indian woman named Lila (played by Misty Upham) who transports immigrants in the trunk of Ray’s car across St. Lawrence’s frozen river for $1200 per immigrant. The large cash rewards compel Ray to participate in Lila’s human trafficking operation that will complicate Ray’s life in unforeseen ways.

Sony Pictures Classics, Rated R, 96 mins. (C-) (Two Stars)

Lars and the Real Girl

Screenwriter Nancy Oliver has crafted a surprisingly touching and, yes, romantic story about a lonely introvert who discovers an ad hoc method of self-therapy in the guise of an anatomically correct silicone love doll. Lars Lindstrom (Ryan Gosling) lives in the garage of the Midwest home he grew up in, where his brother Gus (Paul Schneider) and wife Karin (Emily Mortimer) inhabit the main house. An office mate at Lars's nondescript day job introduces Lars to a love doll website from which he orders "Bianca" and transforms her into a delicate wheelchair-ridden girlfriend. Unable to tolerate human contact, Lars can finally interact, through Bianca, with his family and people in his community in ways never before possible. Patricia Clarkson gives a reliably understated performance as Dr. Dagmar, the psychiatrist who monitors Bianca's health on a weekly basis and who guides Lars on a journey of self-discovery. Eloquent performances from its entire cast support the rhythmically timed movie to render surprising emotional rewards. "Lars and the Real Girl" is the best independent film of the year.

Rated PG-13, 106 mins. (A-) (Four Stars)

Delirious

Eccentric New York paparazzi Les Galantine (Steve Buscemi) befriends homeless kid Toby Grace (Michael Pitt) and shelters the young dreamer in his small apartment in return for cheap labor. The awkward relationship gets stickier when Les ruins Toby’s chances with his latest love, pop diva K’Harma Leeds (Alison Lohman) at her celebrity-attended birthday party. Toby stumbles into success with his own reality TV show, that involves paying special service to his oversexed agent (Gina Gershon), while Les struggles alone with his sanity. There’s enough retro modern social satire here to support the comical efforts of a talented cast adding layers of emotional nuance. Alison Lohman ("White Oleander") remains a rising star with yet another inspired performance that surprises and charms.

Not Rated, 107 mins. (B-) (Three Stars)

Dedication

Actor Justin Theroux makes an auspicious directorial debut with a disarmingly funny romantic comedy full of emotional life and witty filmic textures. Henry Roth (Bill Crudup) is a children’s book writer whose illustrator and collaborator Rudy (Tom Wilkinson) is about the only person in the world patient enough to tolerate Henry’s nervous tics and angry outbursts. Rudy’s death forces Henry to attempt working with a publisher-assigned collaborator in the guise of Lucy Riley (Mandy Moore). Once Henry stops insulting Lucy long enough to apologize, he realizes the flame burning between them but battles with his grip on reality—he’s scared of driving and superstitious about everything. Billy Crudup makes us root for his confused character, and Mandy Moore is convincing and funny as the best that thing ever happened to Henry.

Rated R, 93 mins. (B) (Four Stars)

Descent

Daring sex scenes are an obvious way for young filmmakers to prove to the world that they are capable of shocking society. Witness Steven Soderbergh’s "sex, lies and videotape." So it is that upstart filmmaker Talia Lugacy crafts a revenge drama--ala "Ms. 45" or "Irreversible"--where college student (Rosario Dawson) becomes a date-rape victim before setting a revenge trap that culminates in one of the most over-the-top sex scenes in recent memory. Chad Faust ("Saved") plays Jared, the sociopath rapist, with an appropriately menacing and warped romantic air that reflects well off of Rosario Dawson's compact performance. "Descent" is the worst date movie of the year, and the sucker punch that it packs will definitely twist the guts of most viewers into lasting knots. Apart from its obvious exploitation element and disjointed second act, the movie achieves a cool momentum by sheer force of the intimate power play that takes place over the course of a slow build-up. It’s a modern "art film," and there aren’t many of those around anymore.

Rated PG-13, 100 mins. (C+) (Two Stars)

Rocket Science

Positively winning coming-of-age drama/comedy stacks the deck with newcomer Reece Daniel Thompson as Hal Hefner, a stuttering New Jersey High School student. Thompson plays the part with an innocence and ingenuity akin to a very young Dustin Hoffman. Hal’s low self-esteem gets an unexpected boost from debate-team star Ginny Ryerson (Anna Kendrick) who "sees something in Hal that others don’t," and encourages him to join her on the school’s debate team. But Ginny has ulterior motives that sink Hal’s smitten spirit as he attempts to overcome his stuttering problem during timed debates. It’s obvious that writer/director Jeffrey Blitz ("Spellbound") works well with his actors, but it’s his fresh approach to storytelling, and naturalistic sense of humor, that creates a soulful cushion for the charming narrative to unfold.

Rated R, 98 mins. (B+) (Four Stars)

Around the Bend

Michael Caine and Christopher Walken breath spirited life into debut writer/director Jordan Roberts’ road trip of family bonding in this independent movie with a big heart. The 85-year-old Henry Lair (Caine) lives in Los Angeles with his 32-year-old grandson Jason (Josh Lucas – "Wonderland") and 6-year-old great grandson Zach (Jonah Bobo) before Jason’s long lost father Turner (Walken) unexpectedly materializes for the first time in 30 years. Turner’s sudden appearance is especially surprising to Zach who has only ever been told that his outlaw grandfather is deceased. The four generations of men do soon drop in number however when the ailing Henry dies immediately after writing his final requests on post-its in the comfort of a local Kentucky Fried Chicken. Henry’s circuitous instructions send his three descendents on family history soul searching road trip from Los Angeles to Albuquerque that culminates in a cathartic admission by Walken’s character that marks one of the actor’s finer cinematic moments in recent years. "Around The Bend" may be a ‘small’ movie, but it’s still better than Hollywood’s average fare.

Rated R. 83 mins. (B) (Three Stars)

Half Nelson

A "half nelson" is an effective wrestling hold that relates to debut director Ryan Fleck’s overhyped clinker inasmuch as its Brooklyn junior high teaching protagonist Dan Dunne (stoically played by Ryan Gosling) remains emotionally knotted up. Terminal malcontent Dunne gets caught smoking crack in a locker room by his 13-year-old student Drey (Shareeka Epps) after a basketball game and the two develop a dysfunctional interdependent relationship that is squirm inducing for its manifest levels of impropriety. The movie hits a stream of false notes when Dunne’s students deliver oral reports on Civil Rights struggles that could only have been plagiarized. The film’s ending isn’t only meager, it’s utterly listless.

Rated R, 107 mins. (C) (Two Stars)

Lonesome Jim

Steve Buscemi ("Animal Factory") brings his unique dry wit to bear on a pedestrian story by James C. Strouse about Jim (Casey Affleck – "Ocean’s Twelve"), a 27-year-old melancholy loser who returns from trying to make it as a writer in Manhattan to his parent’s home in Indiana. Jim strikes up a wobbly romantic relationship with local nurse Anika (Liv Tyler) while his brother Tim (Kevin Corrigan) recoups from a near-fatal car accident. "Lonesome Jim" is an earnest and modest ‘little independent’ movie that charms by way of its understated underachieving characters. Mary Kay Place is quietly sympathetic as Jim’s put upon mother.

Rated R. 91 mins. (B-) (Three Stars)

Brick

This glorified student film is only barely elevated by the talented Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Brendan Frye a noir-speaking California high school misfit caught in the violent middle of a drug gang responsible for the death of his ex-girlfriend (Emilie de Ravin). Joseph Gordon-Levitt very nearly makes sense of writer/director Rian Johnson’s knee-jerk Dashiell Hammett barbs of spiky repartee that serve as a narrative one-note samba. "Maybe I'll just sit here and bleed at you" is one of Brendan’s snappy retorts that coincidentally speaks volumes about the writer’s approach at this off-beat and unsatisfying movie. Inferior cinematography strains the already trifling movie.

Rated R. 110 mins. (D+) (One Star)

Hard Candy

Strikingly filmed and exquisitely performed by its principally two-person cast (Ellen Page, Patrick Wilson), "Hard Candy" is an intense reversal on the Little Red Riding Hood story. Hayley Stark (Page) is a 14-year-old proto-feminist rebel who ensnares 32-year-old fashion photographer/potential child molester Jeff Kohiver (Wilson – "The Alamo") in an online chat room before working Jeff over in a furious castration revenge scenario in the comfort of his California luxury house. Ellen Page is a divine manifestation of intelligent female fury that ups the high watermark set by Abel Ferrara’s exterminating angel revenge fantasy "Ms. 45." British director David Slade announces himself as a master of economy and discrimination by leaving the horror to the audience’s imagination. This movie will make you squirm like you’ve never squirmed before.

Rated R, 99 mins. (A-) (Four Stars)

Thank You For Smoking

Writer/director Jason Reitman tries to step outside of his father Ivan Reitman’s ("Ghostbusters") footsteps with a soft peddled send up of Big Tobacco based on the novel by Christopher Buckley. Alternately infuriating and charming Aaron Eckhart ("In The Company of Men") does the contemptible honors as tobacco lobbyist and spin-doctor Nick Naylor. When Nick isn’t teaching his son the ins and outs of winning debates, or comparing death statistics over lunch with fellow "Merchants of Death," Nick is busy battling against an anti-smoking campaign to put a skull-and-crossbones on every cigarette pack. Snappy pacing and carefully sculpted set pieces don’t disguise the satire’s lack of teeth. Reitman’s inability to pay off on any of the film’s skeletal sub-plots leaves Aaron Eckhart holding the narrative bag.

Rated R. 92 mins. (C) (Two Stars)