ptlcan-18906 Reviews

Audrie & Daisy (2016)

Should be mandatory viewing in schools...

[9/10 · 29 September 2016]

In some ways the most horrifying aspects of this film are not the details of what happened but the aftermath. In the case of Daisy Coleman, the community and local law enforcement colluded to shield the young men and shame and exclude the Coleman family. The Sheriff all but stated the two girls were somehow equally responsible for what happened and that Melinda Coleman was nutty. In the case of Audrey Potts the two main participants came across as completely lacking in remorse of understanding. At one point on of the two young men involved in the Potts assault says the biggest thing he learned out of the experience was that "girls gossip and boys are more laid back". Most people with any empathy will want to punch both the Mayor and Sheriff in the face. Maryville Missouri looks like a pretty corrupt place. The Potts lost their daughter and the reality is assaults against young women especially when alcohol is involved happen every day.

The one hopeful thing that comes out of this is that Coleman, the Potts family and others have all become advocates for others.

Algonquin (2013)

Algonquin as Analogy

[8/10 · 4 May 2015]

I really watched this movie because I am a mammoth Nicholas Campbell fan and it is vaguely depressing that somebody of his talent is still grinding it out in under publicized indie films. I guess you hit a certain age as an actor/actress and you get relegated to mom/dad/crazy aunt/crazy uncle roles.

Campbell's presence and choices as a father and writer drive the film, he plays an aging writer who is charming but clearly faded from prominence who contacts his adult son to essentially write the book he always wanted to write with him a ham handed gesture at healing old wounds. The adult son presents as a disheveled and lost semi-man child with resentments about the past and no real sense of who he is. The premise is a book about Algonquin Park. The two men connect awkwardly because Campbell's character exited his family years before.

However, a shift occurs and there are plenty of hints it is coming in some seemingly minor details and our main character Jake discovers things about his father that are unsettling but compel him to try and finish the project and grapple with bonding with the other important people in his father's life, a life he never got to have.

Along the way Algonquin with its scenery serves as a source of healing, self discovery and a degree of acceptance. There are a few clunky moments and the natural setting often speaks for itself. Some of the symbolism is a bit obvious but it shows up in fleeting moments. Jake achieves a greater sense of who he is and sheds some of the internal anger and turmoil, he grows up. One other thing I do like about this movie, it is typically Canadian in that everything does not simply become resolved, the ending is very suitable for the life his father led. It is in many ways a "quiet" movie but not insubstantial. I hope more people see it but it seems to me that Canadians are often guilty of not appreciating their homegrown talent and I don't know much about how films get distributed but my guess is it did not hit many theaters either.

Cut Bank (2014)

Neat Small Movie

[7/10 · 17 April 2015]

I thought this reminded me a bit of Fargo but my more observant companion correctly and more accurately though it was a bit of a tribute to Blood Simple. If the movie had a weakness it was that Liam Hemsworth seemed a bit flat or lost compared to the others. The story was good, few puzzles still remain unexplained regarding the background of Derby Milton, the character whose singular unravels the plans of the main character and unleashes chaos. The women all play peripheral roles and more or less stand around and look worried.

The story felt fresh and although there was a resolution of sorts it was not too cliché.

Wild Tales (2014)

Lived Up To Expectations

[8/10 · 6 April 2015]

The movie definitely paid homage quite well to Pedro Almodovar who produced this, he is the master of absurdist anger and chaos and this director made a case for himself as somebody who can carry that torch. If you enjoy sharp social critiques about what drives us crazy in modern society, this is for you. There was also some not very subtle swipes at the upper classes and some commentary about how corruption is so normalized in Argentinian society. Despite being bleak, the movie was visually appealing and had a great soundtrack that did not overwhelm. You will find yourself laughing at some things you hope nobody else notices.

Everybody can debate about which of the stories is their personal favorite. There is a little something for everybody. I liked Gabriel Pasternak, the vengeful engineer, and the wedding from hell best but all of the stories were good. I am not overly familiar with Argentinian cinema, I did recognize one of the actors from "The Secret in Their Eyes," it makes me want delve more into the movies of that country. I can see why it was popular there and hopefully it gets the attention it deserves here in the United States.