“The Myth of The American Sleepover” seems so genuine, so honest, so middle-America, there literally were parts that I thought had to be filmed in my neighborhood, at my high school. (Instead, it’s suburban Detroit.) The actors portraying the kids do so well because they’re kids themselves, precious few with any acting credits before or […]
drama
Posted inArts & Culture
Take Shelter
Right out of the gate, this act of weird weather alerts audience that something bad is going to happen, and the calm before the storm will be anything but serene. Strangely, Curtis (Michael Shannon, TV’s “Boardwalk Empire”), a blue-collar worker in a small town in Ohio, is the only one who notices how different the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Dirty Girl
The young woman of the title is Danielle (Juno Temple, “The Three Musketeers”), the resident class slut of Norman East High School. She’s brought down a peg or two when her in-class behavior gets her sent to a class for special-needs students, where she’s partnered with “fat fuck” Clarke (Jeremy Dozier, TV’s “iCarly”) on a […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Warrior
In Philadelphia, his estranged brother, high school physics teacher Brendan (Joel Edgerton, “Animal Kingdom”), is a family man upside-down on his mortgage. Dire circumstances force the two independently to enter a winners-take-all, mixed-martial-arts tournament in Atlantic City, with “all” equating to a prize of $5 million. For Tommy, it’s a chance to move away from […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Life Above All
Now available on a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, the South African film is a mostly unflinching look at the enormous and devastating social consequences the disease still exerts in a part of the world where nearly 12 percent of the population has it. The story, while harrowing, sidesteps becoming advocacy cinema by casting itself in a […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Life Above All
Now available on a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, the South African film is a mostly unflinching look at the enormous and devastating social consequences the disease still exerts in a part of the world where nearly 12 percent of the population has it. The story, while harrowing, sidesteps becoming advocacy cinema by casting itself in a […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The Future
July and Hamish Linklater (TV’s “The New Adventures of Old Christine”) portray Sophie and Jason, a couple for four years and running. So strong is their cozy, arty union that they’ve decided to adopt a cat. It’s sickly and healing at the animal hospital, however, so they have a month before Paw-Paw is theirs. They […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The Future
July and Hamish Linklater (TV’s “The New Adventures of Old Christine”) portray Sophie and Jason, a couple for four years and running. So strong is their cozy, arty union that they’ve decided to adopt a cat. It’s sickly and healing at the animal hospital, however, so they have a month before Paw-Paw is theirs. They […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Boy Wonder
Making a writing/directing debut, Michael Morrissey shows talent in the look of his film, but deficiencies in scripting and pulling believable performances from his mostly unknown cast. Lanky Caleb Steinmeyer, who’s had only one-and-done roles on a few popular TV series (and, tellingly, worked as a behind-the-scenes assistant on one of the worst movies I’ve […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Boy Wonder
Making a writing/directing debut, Michael Morrissey shows talent in the look of his film, but deficiencies in scripting and pulling believable performances from his mostly unknown cast. Lanky Caleb Steinmeyer, who’s had only one-and-done roles on a few popular TV series (and, tellingly, worked as a behind-the-scenes assistant on one of the worst movies I’ve […]