Mountain Men

Cameron Labine, 2016

IMDB

3/5

The relationship between siblings can be complicated and volatile over the course of a lifetime. When we are children, we spend so much time together because we all live under the same roof and will take what we can get in terms of company. Whether we are sharing a bunk-bed with that particular sibling or they live across the hall, we have a live-in playmate that may have different interests but for the most part we overlook the difference at that age and will be flexible for the other person. Then we get older, we grow apart. Sometimes years go by before we see each other. Sometimes it takes more than the holidays to bring everyone together. Sometimes its a wedding or, in this particular story, a death in the family.

Toph (Tyler Labine) and Cooper (Chace Crawford) have lost touch over the years. Coop has built some success on his own, living in New York disconnected from the family. Toph is more of a burn-out, living in his hometown. He is quick to say he's a professional DJ but the only actual income he has is from selling weed to the local pot-heads. Their mother gets remarried shortly after their father's death. While at the wedding Toph manages to convince Coop to venture to the family cabin to evict a squatter rumored to be residing there.

The get stranded in the snow-covered mountains and have to rely on each other (and their fathers wisdom) to return to safety. Mountain Men manages to capture some of the nuances of brothers. Abrupt fighting. Preying on weakness. Bringing up embarrassing memories of childhood. Part of the built-in authenticity of the film is probably due to the fact that director Cameron Labine is real-life brother of star Tyler Labine (also the stand-out role in the film). Mountain Men succeeds because it focuses more on the brother dynamic and less on trying to be a purely unique film. It's a predictable movie, and that's okay. The chemistry between Labine and Crawford feels real and that's enough to make it an entertaining watch. Crawford's Coop character is clearly the more introverted type and it contrasts well with Toph's goofy but likeable personality. The funniest most memorable shot of the entire film is the sudden jump to the cabin burning down. That's something that I will be laughing about inside for some time. Mountain Men is a nice little film, a fun watch.

Welcome to Me

Shira Piven, 2015

IMDB

3/5

To sum it up, Welcome to Me is the story about a mentally-ill woman who suddenly wins the lottery and decides to invest her winnings into a Oprah-like show starring herself. Creative premise that certainly pokes fun at the self-help gurus with their positive energy talk and "Secret"-like life philosophies. It also very clearly pokes fun at mental illness though, sure to not be everyone's cup of tea. It creates a character in Wiig's Alice character that is basically a caricature of someone with borderline personality disorder. But enough levity to keep it in the comedic realm without becoming just sad. Kristen Wiig gets another acting credit in her filmography where she takes a bold step into a role that forces her to expose herself (literally), and show some real vulnerability as she also did in The Skeleton Twins.

The first act of the film shows her lonely life, consumed by her illness and her battling with her on again off again relationship with her medications. The ridiculousness only builds to her getting her ridiculous talk show, which sad to say, could actually happen in this age of Kardashian-consuming culture. But the whole theme gets a bit tired after we see many episodes of the show run, where there isn't a whole lot of material for her to run with other than destroying set pieces and screaming at actors playing characters of her childhood foes. But it's certainly interesting at times, certainly has a few laughs here and there, and not a big commitment with it's scant 87 minute run time. It's a proper vehicle for Wiig's dead-pan comedy style. Any fans of her will find something here to appreciate.

The Skeleton Twins

Craig Johnson, 2014

IMDB

3/5

Any fan of the Wiig/Hader era of Saturday Night Live probably has an open mind when it comes to cinematic projects that they collaborate in. Some would argue it was the best SNL cast ever. A controversial opinion, one that I actually agree with. They have boldly left the comfort-zone of SNL in search of success in the movie world. It's worked out really well particularly for Wiig who has had commercial success with Bridesmaids but to her credit has taken risks with independent roles that clearly test her range in films like Girl Most Likely and 2013's Hateship Loveship. They are both undoubted balls of talent, and when working together one assumes that they have a level of comfort with each other that will show on the screen. That's certainly the case here, as the duo plays brother and sister who reconnect under not-so-great circumstances after spending many years not having contact with each other.

The most surprising element of the film which comes quite immediately is the dark tone of the story. It's not something that you would expect the two to be involved in, a story of suicide, loneliness, adultery. You realize very quickly that it's a black comedy in it's purest form. The laughs are there, but they are layered. But the film is rooted in good performances by the two and good writing. In a sense Skeleton is the the portrait of the modern American life. A disconnect between two siblings because of all of that life stuff, the baggage and avoidance. Depression, the self-consuming mother, marital distractions, homosexual frustrations, hypocrisy. It's all there, and although it's not an easy swallow, it's still an interesting film.

While We're Young

Noah Baumbach, 2015

IMDB

3/5

Noah Baumbach can easily be called a young Woody Allen. He often focuses on relationships between couples, set against the backdrop of New York. His films are very dialogue heavy, with a lot of cultural examination and introspective mania. The story mainly focuses on three couples at different phases in their lives. Marina and Fletcher, an early forties couple with a newborn (Maria Dizzia and Adam Horovitz). Cornelia and Josh, early forties couple with no children (Naomi Watts and Ben Stiller). Mid twenties hipster couple Jamie and Darby (Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried). Cornelia and Josh are feeling pressure from their peers upon seeing all of them procreating and living amidst the chaos of child-rearing. They feel refreshed when they meet Jamie and Darby, a young confident couple that seems to be so cool and sure of themselves. They are creative, optimistic, interested. Cornelia and Josh feel jaded and exhausted, and the young couple re-energizes them.

While We're Young starts off as more of a young vs old story, or at least a young AND old story. Growing older, becoming uncool. Being young, being inherently cool. Looking back, wondering where all of the years went. Being bold enough to wear that hat that all the young kids are wearing. There are some identifiable and really comedic moments early in the film when Josh is talking about all of the "cool" things that Jamie is doing, and you soon see a montage of Josh attempting to dress differently and step outside of his comfort zone. At one point Josh says of Jamie and Darby: "It's like their apartment is full of everything we once threw out, but it looks so good the way they have it."

Some of these moments probably transcend comedically to whatever perspective you are sharing with the characters. If you are married without a kid, you are probably identifying with Cornelia and Josh. If you are stuck in baby prison you are identifying with Marina and Fletcher. If you are a young hipster, you're probably not identifying with Jamie and Darby because that wouldn't be unitary and instead are probably identifying with the older generations attempting to pick up some on some of the trends of the millennial generation in terms of fashion or throwback technology. Baumbach decides to really double down on the hipster here, and double up on Adam Driver's Frances Ha hipster character Lev.

The problem with While We're Young is Baumbach's age breakdown is so energetic in the first half of the film, and the story really loses a lot of that energy in the second half of the film when the story primarily focuses on Jamie's documentary. Baumbach tries to go down another avenue to a statement on intellectual property theft and the sense of entitlement of the millennial generation and in the process sacrifices the excitement that fueled the beginning of the story. In the end While We're Young has a lot to say but doesn't feel as complete as some of Baumbach's other work such as Greenberg or The Squid and the Whale. 

Slacker

Richard Linklater, 1991

Can I Stream it?

3/5

Most of the great modern filmmakers have that one particular film early in their career. Typically a more primitive representation of their abilities, it showcases some of their ideas and thoughts but not in such an organized or refined fashion. Of course you need experience to evolve. Kevin Smith has Clerks. Steven Soderburgh has Sex, Lies, and Videotape. David Lynch has Eraserhead. While all of the aforementioned films have varying levels of quality associated with them, they all display a certain root quality to each director. Linklater’s Slacker is probably more messy than all of those, but it doesn’t mean it’s bad. Linklater is a man who has a lot to say, and before he made the Before films where he had an Ethan Hawke-led Jesse vessel to deliver it, it came off as a lot of disorganized stoner talk and philosophical ranting. All in the setting of a pre-Hipster Austin Texas. When you get a good look at this 1990’s Austin, you understand the inevitable influx of hipsterdom to the city that would come in the later years. The amateurish quality to the film is certainly revealed when you even see a finger at the top of the frame in one of the scenes. But there is something there, some qualities that you will see in Dazed and Confused and even in School of Rock. What separates these characters from Linklater's future characters is certainly a sense of purpose, or at least principle.

In a way it’s a film that questions a lot of things. Authority in it’s many forms. Uncle Sam, parents, the police, the boss. An examination of the aimless Gen X population. Drifters, couch surfers. People with a lack of conviction to virtually everything in their lives. Habitual moochers in the same vein as the Freegan movement. All laid out with Linklater’s signature tracking shots, only this time focused on people with fanny packs and acid washed jeans.

Awful Nice

Todd Sklar, 2014

Can I Stream It?

3/5

Brothers Jim (James Pumphrey) and Dave (Alex Rennie) reunite at their father's funeral and learn that they have both inherited the family lake house located in Americana-riddled Branson Missouri. Jim is hoping to turn over the property to local slimy businessman Jon Charbineau (Christopher Meloni), get paid, and return home to his wife and child. He reluctantly lets Dave accompany him on the trip to Branson and they soon find that the property is not in any condition to be sold that quickly.

The modern slapstick comedy has quite the mountain to climb to achieve any kind of notable status. For every There's Something About Mary, there are twenty bad ones that are probably starring Rob Schneider. Usually it's just a bad story with bad acting with overused premises. But sometimes one can pass through by not trying go over the top and not attempt to break any kind of new ground. Awful Nice succeeds in being a 90 minute junk food comedy session that doesn't require any real heavy thinking. The simple premise pits two highly competitive brothers against each other and lets them duke it out. It wouldn't work if there wasn't some real chemistry between the two, fortunately there is. Their sibling rivalry feels very real, as if they were actual brothers and were improvising their brutal exchanges through the entire picture. From chugging contests, to arm-wrestling, to all-out physical brawls, it's the battles between the two that keeps you engaged. Of course the picture is not absent of any imperfections. Christopher Meloni's attempt at being an Elmer Fudd-sounding crook doesn't really hit the mark. In fact you never really buy into his character and just write him off as Meloni with a hair piece on. He's no Les Grossman to say the least. The Russian crime family that controls the service industry in the city of Branson feels like an unnecessary distraction at times. And there's probably one too many montages of the two brothers engaging in many senseless activities. But when they are busting on each other, the confrontations feel fresh and should pull a few laughs out of you. How can you not laugh at a grown man taking Doggie heartworm pills hoping to get high?

Don Jon

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 2013

Can I Stream It?

3/5

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Looper, The Dark Knight Rises, 500 Days of Summer) makes his directorial debut showcases him as gym-rat Jon, a serial one night stander who finally meets a girl he falls for. Unfortunately she quickly interrupts his long-going online porn addiction.

Levitt is typically seen playing the innocent type with more of a reticent charm. Here he is much more outgoing, basically playing someone straight of Jersey Shore central casting. A man of much routine. His life ultimately consists of little variation from going to the gym, to the club with the same friends, home with a random girl he meets at the club, and then to church every Sunday to scrub his conscience clean in the confession booth so he can later "enjoy" family dinner with his father (Tony Danza) screaming at him.

While MTV's Jersey Shore showed the world that there are actually people out there like the ones parodied in the film, Levitt's cast are ultimately caricatures of neo-italian New Jerseyians who hang their cultural pride high, they help to examine the concept of sexuality in our culture. The types who have that mythical family member who is "connected" that they threaten each other with over the dinner table while fighting over the last piece of Lasagna. Empty threats that are shouted underneath cheap-cloth Italian flags that they hang wherever necessary. 

The film examines the sex sells marketing concept and the outright hypocrisy that exists in the American culture. It's okay for the girls to watch the improbable, sappy romantic flicks but it's taboo for the men to watch pornography. The film also touches on the idea of the male population becoming less masculine and more metro-sexual. His examination largely works because he keeps it simple. Jon is so addicted to his streaming video in front of him because one, he is an enormous control freak. But more importantly, his impulses had been largely self serving for much of his adult life. And its sort of a collective approach by everyone hitting the bars at night. They are all basically feeding their inflated egos. When they go home with someone they met, its another knotch on their belt, not likely their future wife. As soon as Jon realizes that there is more of a partnership to true lovemaking, it all changes. Levitt could have easily tried to prove himself to the film-making community by biting off more than he could chew. He could have confused his freshman project with too many story threads, too much abstraction, or could have gone in heavy-handed. But he didn't. And the final product felt more confident because of it. Good for him. 

In a World...

Lake Bell, 2013

Can I Stream It?

3/5

Carol (Lake Bell) is struggling to find her place in the working world. Living in the shadow of her legendary father Sam Soto (Fred Melamed), the voice-over industry seemed to be dominated by men with little room for a twenty-something female. That is until she surprisingly books a gig for herself which motivates her to keep at it - and that isn't met with cheers by everyone around her.

Lake Bell proves that she is a triple-threat in this film in which she writes, directs and stars in. It has a lot of similarities to fellow tom-boyish female-led indie Juno, although a bit more grown-up and more plainspoken. Bell's final product is a well put-together story of an aimless female dealing with adversity. This adversity takes many forms. She is trying to endure family dysfunction, mostly caused by her self-absorbed father. She is trying (or maybe not trying but feeling expected) to find romance. Although her friend Louis (Demetri Martin) is lurking in the periphery, their moments never feel opportune and come off awkwardly. Martin, who is usually a forgettable face on screen, is an appropriate casting here as the blundering but like-able friend who wants to be more than a friend but doesn't know how to make his move. She is trying to find her own independence, so she isn't feeling like a mooch on her sister Dani's (Michaela Watkins) couch. In a World contains some rather sporadic laughter, with some of the many throw-aways falling flat. They don't all need to hit their mark because Bell gets plenty of points for her effort. And her efforts didn't go unnoticed. She received a lot of appropriate acclaim for her work here, taking home the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance among many Critics Association nominations for things like Breakthrough Film Artist or Most Promising Filmmaker. Bell succeeds in getting you behind Carol early and sticking with her. Her hardship should feel identifiable for anyone who was young and didn't know what the hell they wanted to do in life, which is who, all of us? 

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

Jerry Seinfeld, 2012-

Website

4/5

Jerry Seinfeld's personal creation is a fine display of what is possible in the world of independently-produced internet-based content. He doesn't need to bow to advertisers (though he has sponsors like Acura but their presence isn't overbearing). He can choose how long each episode is. He decides what direction he wants to take it. Literally. He decides where they're going to eat. He decides what they are going to talk about. But although he has a certain formula to it all, it all feels very organic. He gets in a different car each episode (with each car outfitted with multiple dash-mounted Go-Pro-like cameras) to pick up his buddies, whether they be long-time collaborator Larry David, fellow comedian Brian Regan, or even longtime friend Michael Richards hoping to strike some comedic vein and see what flows out. All in between close-up shots of steaming coffee and mouth-watering diner-porn. There's a certain deconstructionist approach to his lunch dates. He likes to hear what his friends think is funny. But he also wants to know what they do when they get up in the morning. What they eat for lunch, and why they eat it and why have they been eating it for so long. There's comedy in all of it. After all, he's made a career with observational humor and why stop now? And what's great about it is it's not over-edited. The fat hasn't been completely trimmed to the point where there are no awkward pauses or jokes that didn't land. That sense of purity is the charm to the series. You could argue its a new incarnation of a show about nothing. And Jerry presumably has enough cars in his garage and enough comedian friends that he can do this for a long time. Or at least as long as he wants to.

Drinking Buddies

Joe Swanberg, 2013

Can I Stream It?

2/5

It's quite obvious that Luke (Jake Johnson) and Kate (Olivia Wilde) have a crush on each other. They both spend a good portion of their days working at the Revolution Brewery in Chicago goofing around. The only problem that they face is that they are both already involved with someone else.

When you're pitched a film that's going to be 100% improvised, that probably sounds quite appealing and fun, especially when it involves actual drinking. But this is essentially a film packing empty calories much like the stouts and pale ales they are constantly consuming on the job. The Brewery seems like the best place in the world to work. You can drink during your shift, smoke in your office. It appears that the only real work you must do is hose off some kegs and make some phone calls to distributors. The only real boss you must answer to is Gene (Jason Sudeikis) who is hard to respect when he is sitting next to you at the bar every night drinking. Everything that transpires is quite predictable, and you can get a clear feeling for the direction it's going to take at the 20 minute mark. And while Luke and Kate are pulling pigtails, they aren't providing a whole lot of funny. The sexual tension drags on. And on. And on. It's disappointing because Olivia Wilde and Anna Kendrick have proven that they are capable of pulling off good performances but they aren't given much to work with here. And perhaps it's not fair to judge them so harshly, they are clearly just not great with improv. It's an hour of power of pleasure delaying, loosey-goosey to a fault, and simply lacking. Swanberg deserves some credit for taking a risk, but Drinking Buddies is better on paper. It provides you with a lot to look at, but not enough substance behind it.

Frances Ha

Noah Baumbach, 2013

Netflix

3/5

Frances Halladay (Greta Gerwig) is a 27 year old aspiring dancer who is having a difficult time moving forward. She feels comfortable in her small apartment with her best friend Sophie (Mickey Sumner), where they make childish plans for their future, but there are a forces in her life putting pressure on her to progress.

Baumbach's piece is clearly a nod to Woody Allen's Manhattan, but spares a lot of the classic elements for more of a youthful hipster vibe. It's a smart film; heavy on the dialogue but also carrying a lot of sincere weight. Frances could easily come off as annoying, and she does at times. She also comes off as frustrating, but so do a lot of the characters in the film. You get a sense that there is a number of New York's artist community largely dependent, spouting off unenlightened opinions while they sit in their $4000 brownstone apartments smoking cigarettes and drinking whiskey paid for on loans by their wealthy parents. Non-contributors. Frances is guilty of being opinionated herself, but her charm is in her honesty. You wonder if a girl like her ever "turns it off", and perhaps she doesn't. She is immature yet energetic. Reliant yet loyal. She is a nervous intellectual who has two drinks too many and can't seem to stop talking. And sometimes you don't want her to stop talking. When she delivers a brilliant "love dimension" speech, you see that while her dreams may be misguided - there's a sense of pure optimism inside. When she does manage to pull it together to some extent, it almost feels like it all comes too quickly. Was she closing one chapter or was it simply ending the movie? That's not necessarily a knock on Baumbach's story. It's still a rather entertaining experience getting there. She's a square peg of a woman in a round hole of life, effectively and humorously displayed in the final moment of the film.

Greta Gerwig certainly deserves praise for her performance in the film, you get a sense that she did put a lot out there. All in all, Baumbach does a good job of putting it all together nicely with organization and good music but the film doesn't have the lasting impact of The Squid in the Whale or the raw vulnerability of Greenberg. 

Prince Avalanche

David Gordon Green, 2013


3/5

Responsible and self sufficient Alvin (Paul Rudd) and unsophisticated Lance (Emile Hirsch) are two road workers who tediously paint the yellow lines on the Texas pavement after wildfires ravaged the state. At night they camp on the roadside, and they occasionally have the opportunity to travel to town to socialize and gather supplies before they have to get back to the grind.

David Gordon Green pushes the quirk in this minimalistic limited storytelling piece that at times feels like a love letter to Wes Anderson. There are points in the film where it almost feels like a car may pull up and Bill Murray may get out. It's a piece that's largely filled with abstraction and vulnerability. Some may not be so satisfied with images of a mustached Paul Rudd dancing by himself with a fishing pole in hand. Others may credit him for taking a risk with another independent role. He certainly puts himself out there as the dorky outcast just looking for some validation. He doesn't hide his love for Madison, and continues to write her letters like he has gone off to war. And perhaps he has, in his mind. But strangely there's not much urgency to finish his work and return to the general population. Without her presence she feels very imaginary. Alvin is searching for something while he is isolated in those woods. Perhaps he is rebuilding like the world around him. And Lance is fighting his own kind of war as well. Hormones raging, he returns to town seeking short term flings and without which leaves him feeling empty. Emile Hirsch delivers a particularly impressive performance as the inexperienced oafy hand to Alvin. The humor in his character is subtle but memorable. The dynamic between Alvin and Lance is unstable, and why wouldn't it be? Basically opposites stuck together in the middle of nowhere. At times hating their job, other times indulging in the freedom. But at the end of the day their companionship is going to be more fulfilling than their monotonous daily grind. They both have something to offer one another.

Green took a risk with making the film as it won't appeal to all crowds. The fortunate thing is it feels like he succeeds in what he set out to do. The theme of self-discovery while slowly walking the Texas pavement almost gives it a Wizard of Oz feel. At times the film drags very much like the painting machine they push slowly through the day, and at times it feels like it circles in one spot. It could certainly be a better film if there was more meat on the bones. But there's certainly something here worth watching.

Our Idiot Brother

Jesse Peretz, 2011


3/5

Ned (Paul Rudd) has run into some tough luck with some legal troubles and a breakup with his girlfriend Janet (Kathryn Hahn). He turns to his three sisters, who all seem to be preoccupied with their own lives to provide support.

An ensemble cast fuels the film with a lot of the usual suspects of the modern comedy world. Paul Rudd brings his very Paul Rudd persona to the film, and that's never really a bad thing. His character in this film would be the equivalent to his character in Wanderlust if he lived in the commune for years and were suddenly evicted. He possesses a certain naivete that doesn't really help him elevate him in any kind of professional capacity but he certainly should sleep better at night than his sisters do. He means well. Tries to do the right thing. A happy failure. Failure is a subjective term though. Is he a failure because he doesn't have the house, or the children, or the job? His sisters play hot potato with his couch surfing, and don't really feel any kind of familial gravitational pull. Miranda (Elizabeth Banks) is completely obsessed with making her mark in her journalism career. Liz (Emily Mortimer) is wrapped up in with her children and seemingly disinterested husband. Natalie (Zooey Deschanel) is just wrapped up in herself. Maybe they all are. All of these different lifestyles, but with one common theme. They all push Ned away despite the fact that he is really the one force that can help them. How does he help? That's sort of complicated. Hard to say really. You could say things have to get bad before they get better? Sometimes you need a good shakeup in your life? Testing the foundation? Maybe all of those. Ned comes in like a hippie tornado, and completely disrupts their lives, and the whole time has this whole "Whoa, was just trying to help... didn't mean for all of this to happen!" approach to it all. And that feels genuine, and quite charming.

And it's a modern comedy so of course it has its flaws. The attempt to ugly up Rashida Jones is quite obvious, and quite honestly... still fails. You need more than a giant pair of dorky glasses on her face to do that. Why did she need to be "uglied up" in the first place? Let her be her. Is it Peretz' attempt to make her more of the tomboy lesbian type? In the end, not really important and not so pertinent to the overall plot. Emily Mortimer's English accent leaks throughout the film. The attempted backdrop of New York City feels completely absent. The fact that those are the flaws actually speaks well for the film. Everything is actually put together quite nicely. The funny hits the target when it needs to (often having an effective Improv-ish tone), and the dramatic moments hit close enough.

The Kings of Summer

Jordan Vogt-Roberts, 2013


4/5

In an effort to escape the constraints of their overbearing parents, buddies Joe (Nick Robinson) and Patrick (Gabriel Basso) decide to build a house in the middle of the woods with the help of oddball friend Biaggo (Moises Arias). When they complete their project they realize they have created something that will have a long lasting impact on them.

It's a coming-of-age tale that is really nice looking, but also possesses an inviting quality that is both endearing and comedic that generates memories of Stand By Me. It examines the ever constant painful embarrassment of growing up in your parents house and not having the means to escape. The cast is full of personality, with Nick Offerman perfectly cast as the bitter father who is still grieving over the loss of his wife and taking it out on everyone around him. His sister Heather (Alison Brie) is at an age that she was able to escape to freedom but left Joe to endure the angst. Patrick has his overbearing parents (played by the very talented Megan Mullally and Marc Evan Jackson), who have a difficult time letting Patrick leave their sight. When they do have him in their grasp, they spend the entire time picking apart every facet of his existence. The addition of Biaggio to the group adds a lot of levity. Certainly (and hopefully) not the last we'll see of Moises Arias.

The kids are just looking for some air to breathe, and they find it in their Thoreauian fortress. The sound of their parents voice is enough to annoy them, and the young boys likely see their elders as reflections of their future selves - and that's a scary thing to them. They want their niche. They also want a sense of purpose. They establish principles, and try to stick to them. A very present soundtrack really amplifies the film with a repetitive melody scored by Ryan Miller combined with several other Indie staples. The punched up script delivers the laughs and feels fresh. The film does get a bit overindulgent with the slow-motion shots, some of the awkward humor feels a bit forced at times, and the building of their house feels quite painless... but that's okay. It succeeds in its message. It's a very relatable film to anyone who grew up looking for some independence, and we all attempted to construct shacks that were likely far less detailed than the house in Kings.

The New Year

Brett Haley, 2010
 

3/5

Sunny (Trieste Kelly Dunn) drops out of college to return home to Pensacola to take care of her sick father. She gets a job a the local bowling alley and dates Tai Kwon Do instructor Neal (Kevin Wheatley). After reuniting with high school friend Isaac (Ryan Hunter), she becomes eager for a change in scenery.

There are a lot of Indie pictures that have a similar construct. High school buddies reuniting, underemployed at the embarrassing job, stale relationships. It's just a matter of its done well. Here it is done well. That's largely due to Trieste Kelly Dunn's performance as Sunny. Kelly Dunn possesses the physical qualities of Rebecca Gayheart combined with the quirky demeanor of Aubrey Plaza. Sunny is a complicated person. Shes interesting, because while she keeps a lot of her emotions locked away she is still quite expressive to those around her. Spontaneously eccentric like Ellen Page's character in Juno, but with more unpredictability. She returns to Florida, not exactly thrilled, to take her of her father after he is diagnosed with cancer. Her mother nowhere to be found, all that remains is photographs on the refrigerator door. Her father, who appears defeated by the disease, also bears a sense of guilt over keeping Sunny around but is clearly appreciative. There is no manipulation or guilt trips. You get a sense of good parenting on his part, because Sunny takes care of him on her own accord. She feels the weight of being his live-in nurse, but obviously doesn't want to waste whatever time she has left with him. Clearly someone who puts others first, she finally gets a taste of the outside world when she runs into Isaac. Isaac, amateur stand-up comedian, did what she wasn't able to do. He was able to take a risk and just leave Pensacola to see what was out there. Not really confident that his stand-up career will pan out, he can at least pat himself on the back for giving it a shot. Sunny feels the clock is ticking, and she can almost feel the roots growing.

The film is quite character-driven and they all have some colorful and comedic qualities. Sunny's best friend Amy (Linda Lee McBride) is a good example of the friend who settled into her hometown and grew roots. She's sort of the opposite of Sunny's character in the sense that she's very extroverted and attention-seeking. She's married to wannabe-G Bobby (David McElfresh), who barely speaks himself and lets her do all of the talking. There's something really funny about his character, still stuck in his high school thug persona. You have her boyfriend Neal who takes great pride in his martial arts school. He's a nice guy, and is good to her but doesn't have the same urge to leave Pensacola. She can see him doing the same thing ten years later and she doesn't want to look that far ahead. It's an accessible piece because it feels real, and that's all you really need. If you can get invested in Sunny's character, it's going to work for you.

It's a Disaster

Todd Berger, 2012


4/5

A group of friends get together for an afternoon brunch. They are not even into their first mimosa before they get word of an devastating attack on the United States. The attack is very life threatening, but that doesn't stop them from unleashing their own personal drama on each other.

It's a limited storytelling piece, and a good one at that. Many films have failed with a similar model. Some quickly come off as too far fetched and lose you quickly. This one succeeds, partly because its fueled by a good script but also by good acting. This could easily be considered an indie low-budget version of This is the End. David Cross delivers the humor from the opening scene, along with Julia Stiles. The film starts off with a tangible sense of awkward tension with David Cross' character Glen being introduced to everyone, while on his date with Tracy (Julia Stiles). You, the viewer, feels the same unfamiliarity with the brunch-mates, not really knowing what to think of them and building your natural prejudgments. You are introduced to Hedy (America Ferrera), a friendly but restrained schoolteacher. There's Hedy's "fiance" Shane (Jeff Grace), the nerdboy sporting the American Apparel hoodie and consumed with a comic book auction on his phone. Then there's Lexi (Rachel Boston) and Buck (Kevin Brennan), the vegan new age couple who are quick to invade ones space bubbles and not aligned with social norms. They all come together in a mishmash of impulses and accidental honesty.

In the battle between macro and micro events, the drama that unfolds are ordinary interpersonal conflicts that one (you would think) wouldn't be particularly concerned with if death could knock at the front door at any given moment. The fact that they continue to focus on the drama is not only acceptable, but it continues to be engaging. The picture effectively examines ones reaction to hearing that the end of the world is near. Some people become reflective, some indulge in libations, some become sexual, some fall back on their religious beliefs. In the end, what does it matter anyway? We're all going to die. It could be any minute! I'll drink to that.

Everything Must Go

Dan Rush, 2010


3/5

Nick Halsey returns home from a not-so-good day at work to find all of his possessions on the front lawn of his house, with all of the locks changed. Realizing that his wife has left him, he decides to stay out on the front lawn continuing to drink beer hoping that the answers will come to him.

A lot of familiar faces and distinct P.B.R. product placement in this dramedy that is a nice change of pace for Will Ferrell. As one of the better comedic actors of this generation, it's refreshing to see Ferrell in a dramatic role. I've always had a theory that comedy actors do well in dramatic roles because of the built-in range they already possess. It's why Jim Carrey was so successful in the transition in dramatic roles like The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and why Bill Murray also succeeded in films like Lost in Translation. 

Rush is effective at creating a film that has doesn't trip over itself with unnecessary story. It mostly focuses on Nick re-evaluating his life and wondering what got him to this point. Rush makes a statement about ones tendency to cling to material objects. Nick soon realizes that in order to move on, he has to let go of the Vinyl records and the George Foreman grill. Part of the letting go is aided by young neighbor boy Kenny Loftus (Christopher Jordan Wallace), and the dynamic that is created between the two is heart-warming and clearly therapeutic for both of them. The gorgeous Rebecca Hall (Vicky Christina Barcelona, The Town) appears in the film as Samantha, the new neighbor moving across the street, providing an ear to Nick during his outdoor stay. The belongings on the front lawn can also be a statement about the Surburbia gossip mill: window peeking and speculation over neighbors unhappy marriages. Nick fittingly makes a statement in the film about how everyone hides their baggage behind closed doors, hidden from the world. He claims that he is more honest because his baggage is out on the front lawn, for the world to see. The film doesn't try to be anything other than a hit rock bottom & pick yourself up piece, and although the twist at the end is a bit unnecessary... it's still an entertaining 90 minutes.

Straight A's

James Cox, 2013


2/5

Black sheep Scott (Ryan Phillippe) arrives on horseback to his wealthy brother's house to try to make amends after having a vision of his deceased mother telling him to do so. Old tension resurfaces, mainly due to the fact that Scott's brother William (Luke Wilson) is now married to Scott's high school sweetheart Katherine (Anna Paquin).

Like so many of the romantic dramedies that get churned out these days, Straight A's attempts to run on bad writing combined with run-of-the-mill acting. The final product feels unpredictable and uninspired, and director Cox (Wonderland) and writer David Cole are to blame. In the end they make a film that is bearable but unadorned. Ryan Phillippe pulls off a good southern accent, one of the few redeeming qualities of the film. Wilson and Paquin clearly didn't have a lot to work with, and they fall flat here. Anna Paquin's stone-faced performance feels one-dimensional and she's yet to shine outside of the Sookie Stackhouse comfort zone. There's one point in the film where she blows up, showing that she can cover both sides of the emotional spectrum but nothing in between. The mature son who wears the suit all of the time feels like a direct rip-off of Augusten Burrough's character in Running with Scissors but without any of the charm. Powers Boothe is in what almost feels like a throw-away role, and somehow Cox even made him seem dull. The only really good acting in the film was provided by Gracie (Ursula Parker), who some will recognize from the television series Louie. The dialogue is completely elementary, and the story is even more predictable. The transitions feel forced, and lack any kind of organic feel. The "surprise" twist in the end really feels like they needed to quickly tie up loose ends so they wouldn't be late for lunch that day. In this world of over-used premises and other rom-com low-hanging fruit, this film gets lost in the forgettable crowd.

Natural Selection

Robbie Pickering, 2011


3/5

Linda (Rachael Harris) discovers that her husband Abe (John Diehl), while he is hospitalized, has an illegitimate son living in Florida. She decides to track the son down and reunite him with his biological father.

Rachael Harris provides a multi-faceted, vulnerable performance in this indie dramedy. Eager to have children of her own after being married to the same man for 25 years with no luck, she gets to the point of desperation. When realizing that her husband's son is out there somewhere, she jumps head first into a pursuit to find him. Naive and optimistic, she assumes he will be a mirror image of her husband and is surprised to find he isn't. Her kindness is contagious, and her oblivious demeanor is convincing. Linda looks back on two decades of marriage with a sense of distrust. She looks forward to the potential relationship with her husband's son as an opportunity. It's a thorough examination of bible belt hypocrisy, secrets hidden in a long marriage, and societal facades. It has the sudden comedic moments reminiscent of the Coen Brothers work, but blends it well with genuine emotion and curiosity.