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Reviews
The Judge (2014)
One of the best Downey Jr, Roles ever
The Judge starring Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall screened at the Mill Valley Film Festival before its theatrical release, where story writer and director David Dobkin was able to make an appearance for a Q&A, which we have transcribed and included below our review. Superb, truly an instant classic and must-see for any film lover or actor; because it truly is a writer's film and an actor's film. . Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) is a fast-talking, win-at-all cost big-city criminal lawyer who travels back to his picturesque hometown of Carlinville, Indiana for his mother's funeral. But after his father Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall), a well-known and respected judge in the small town, is accused of murdering a man he had once sentenced to time in prison; Hank stays back to defend his father in court. Things get more complicated when Dwight Dickham (Billy Bob Thornton), a man disgusted by Hank's morally questionable methods, steps in as the prosecutor. . While working to prove his father's innocence, Hank gets reacquainted with his brothers; Glen Palmer (Vincent D'Onofrio), a soft-spoken giant with a once-prominent shot at the Major Leagues; and Dale Palmer (Jeremy Strong), a child in all but age with an 8mm film habit. And long-ago girlfriend Samantha (Vera Farmiga) a self-sufficient small business owner. . Every single element of the film was superb, from the story and writing to the art direction and cinematography to the breathtaking performance of every single actor. And audience member in the Q&A at the festival pointed out that the film feels as if it were based on a classical novel; a staple like To Kill A Mockingbird reimagined for a more contemporary audience. Shockingly, it's an original screenplay; a collaboration between David Dobkin and screenwriters Nick Schenk and Bill Dubuque.
These scenes were made even more powerful with the level of talent present in this film. Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall were simply amazing. The actors went somewhere they haven't gone before, no better example than the bathroom scene, serving as a perfect tipping point in the story and their relationship. But every major character had their moment in the spotlight. Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Vera Farmiga and Billy Bob Thornton were great supporting characters and we're quickly becoming Leighton Meester fans after seeing her in Like Sunday Like Rain and now in this film, where her brief appearance is very memorable.
Perfect balance of drama and humor. Plenty of laughs throughout, which all come from the honesty of the characters and their situations. Downy Jr.'s natural sarcasm and ability to make just about anything funny help too. The heavy humor didn't take away from the intense drama of the story at all. If anything, the funny moments made the dramatic ones even heavier.
Every story element came together so well, with just enough of a resolution for every single subplot; without going too far with the 'ending' lasting forever. The very last shot of the film is just subtle enough to be artistic and beautiful, just telling enough to be a satisfying ending.
SPOILER ALERT!!:
This film would be a tough one to find the right ending for; one which will both satisfy the audience and teach the protagonist enough of a lesson. So many well-written films screw it up in the third act, but this one ended so perfectly. The noble man must sacrifice himself to be true to the morals he hopes to pass on. But his son must also be given a chance to make a difference, to use his talents for good.
So many people are able to be virtuous, until something huge goes wrong. Then they're willing to do anything to make it go away. Downy Jr.'s character didn't understand why his father wasn't willing to do anything to stay out of prison. He had to learn that morals are just for show until you're willing to sacrifice for them. If you abandon them when it finally matters, they're nothing. Sacrifice makes a more lasting impact on others, even in a small town it's an impact worth sacrificing for.
His father cared deeply about his impact on others, and on the world he would one day leave behind. His martyrdom was a message to all witnesses, that his virtues of honesty and justice truly matter. And through honesty and the justice system, he was still able to get out long enough to spend his final hours with his son, fishing on a lake and recalling favorite memories. This is one of those few films that deserves nothing less than a 10/10 rating.
3 Still Standing (2014)
Funny yet tragic
3 Still Standing is a nostalgic documentary on the rise and fall of the stand- up comedy boom in San Francisco in the 80s and 90s, packed with vintage stand-up footage and interviews with a number of comedians like Rob Snyder, Dana Carvey, Paula Poundstone, Bobby Slayton, Rey Booker, Marc Hershon, and Michael Pritchard. The main focus is on the three stand-up comics who didn't make it big in L.A., but were willing to starve for their art and have miraculously managed to continue making a living in comedy; despite the crash and burn of the SF comedy scene. Directed by filmmakers Donna LoCicero & Robert Campos, a husband and wife team who have made a number of award-winning television documentaries together. 3 Still Standing is their first independent doc. Robert Campos is actually from San Francisco, and he and his wife met right in midst of the comedy boom in the 80s.
The three still standing are clever political comedian Will Durst, self- loathing pessimist Larry "Bubbles" Brown, and sarcastic observationalist Johnny Steele.
We regrettably hadn't heard of any of the three before seeing this doc, but absolutely loved the clips from their performances scattered throughout the film. They are all hilarious in their own unique ways, though based on what we saw in the doc, Durst was our favorite with intelligent material, and phenomenal comedic timing and physicality.
The film maintains a delicate balance between comedy and drama, the interviews being primarily dramatic with some very funny stand-up footage sprinkled in. We would have perhaps liked to have seen a bit more of the raw stand-up footage, especially since most of it can't be found online. There was some fantastic 80s footage of performers at the Holy City Zoo in the Richmond District, the top comedian hang-out at the time which we didn't even know about and certainly haven't seen any footage from. Since the filmmakers had access to such hilarious hard-to-find footage, a bit more of it would have been even better.
Like Sunday, Like Rain (2014)
Beautiful film
This drama paints a striking portrait of Reggie (Julian Shatkin), a wealthy and neglected twelve-year-old prodigy with the maturity of a middle-aged man; and Eleanor ( Leighton Meester), a broke ex-musician in her twenties recently out of work, boyfriend and home, who lands a job as Reggie's au pair for the summer in Manhattan while his mother (Debra Messing) travels overseas. Written and directed by Frank Whaley, produced by Uri Singer, and breathtaking cinematography by James Jones.
This film took a very different, almost romantic approach with a charming, artistic, sensitive yet domineering child rather than the traditional spoiled brat who hates the nanny. The two hit it off right away. Eleanor naturally accepts his maturity and treats him as an equal when she realizes that trying to be the grown-up in the relationship is pointless in the company of a genius. In many ways, Reggie takes better care of her than she does of him.
The conflict doesn't stem from the relationship between these two unlikely friends, but from their personal lives. This could have been why it felt a bit lacking in conflict overall, because no major problems arise between the two main characters. However, this blossoming friendship is where the unexpected bulk of the humor comes from, with witty and surprising dialogue between these very different but equally troubled characters learning how to co-exist.
Several things were set up or talked about that were never paid off, which underplayed the conflict and there wasn't enough of a resolution. Rather than showing how the characters have grown or been changed and strengthened by one another, the whole final act kind of feels like a montage of shots of them missing each other while trying to go back to their previous lives.
Very good acting, Julian Shatkin is phenomenal, the film is worth watching for his performance alone; not to take away from the rest of the cast. Leighton Meester is very natural in her role, Debra Messing is quite funny as an unjustifiably stressed-out woman whose normal routine includes going to the spa and on exotic vacations; and Georgia Ximenes Lifsherr is hilarious as Eleanor's best friend Silvia. Even Eleanor's parents who, while not in much of the film, manage to stay memorable with their hostile quirks. We weren't very impressed with Billie Joe Armstrong's performance as Dennis, Eleanor's boyfriend. His style was pretty over-the-top and childlike, very "acty," not terribly believable. Overall film score: 9/10. Here's the breakdown:
– Story: 8/10 — Characters: 10/10 — Acting: 9/10 (would be 10/10 if not for Billie Joe's performance) — Cinematography: 10/10 — Soundtrack: 10/10 — Most Lacked: Conflict & Character Arc