Where Films Are Heading...

Hello movie fans:

I apologize for my absence of late. Currently I am moving and still up to my nose in boxes, unpacking. However, I wanted to share with you something that I found completely fascinating and exciting that is happening in the film industry now.

Recently, I've been discussing the future of filmmaking with some others in the industry. Long gone are the days where you need fancy, expensive equipment to make a movie. All you really need is a good idea and the ability to tell it well. Right? Yes!

So, when I heard about a new film called Olive and how it was made I knew I had to share it. Here is the trailer. Now I am not giving an opinion of the film as I have not seen it yet, but here is what I want to tell you: This ENTIRE movie was shot on a cell phone. Yes! It was shot on a Nokia N8 smart phone, to be exact.



Another interesting fact about this film: this was made independently without any corporation financing. That means no backing whatsoever from any major studio and it was released in 2000+ theatres. So, if you want to make a movie, you have an idea, grab your cell phone and just do it!

This movie was released late last year and it stars Gena Rowlands.

My reviews will be back up in about a week or so. Enjoy the trailer.

Small Town Saturday Night

Directed and written by Ryan Craig, Perfect Weekend, 2010.

Starring: Chris Pine, Shawn Christian, John Hawkes, Bre Blair, Octavia Spencer, and Lin Shaye.

Genre: Drama

Question: What draws you to watch a specific movie? Could it be the director, a certain genre or story-line or is it an actor and their skill, perhaps? For me it ranges, but I do have some standards: a recommendation by someone, seeing a good, or even a bad, review makes me consider watching it and then sometimes it is the poster. I did study art history and a visually appealing film poster can really catch my interest.

Today I watched an indie film called, Small Town Saturday Night. Why did I choose to watch this one today? Honestly, I have seen a lot of Chris Pine's movies and he has proved his acting chops to me....okay, okay... I will admit one of the reasons I had it in my Netflix instant playlist was for Chris Pine and those eyes. Plus, this wasn't a horror or sadistic story-line (my last two reviews).

Small Town Saturday Night is about a country singer (Chris Pine), who lives in a small town and is about to move to Nashville. Actually, it sounded relaxing and it was an indie film - something I love to support especially after seeing this was made after Chris Pine's smash hit Star Trek. That scores points in my book.

Unfortunately, this film just did not deliver a huge surprise as many of the other independent movies that I have stumbled upon on Netflix. It kept my interest but the story was...how do I put this...uneventful. The story takes place over one day in a small town called Prospect. I kind of thought it would take place at night but not until the very end does the sun takes its rest. Anyway, it showed a slice of American life, which some may get and some may not.

Rhett Ryan (Chris Pine) has one more day at the gas station before his final gig at the local bar before him and his girlfriend (Bre Blair) and her daughter make the big move. Then you are introduced to other locals in the town - specifically the local deputy (Shawn Christian), the ex-husband of Rhett Ryan's girlfriend, who waits for his brother, Donnie (John Hawkes) coming home from his stint in prison. For the next hour or so you witness Donnie, Rhett, Donnie's brother and father and countless others interact. Sometimes it made for a cohesive story and sometimes it didn't. If you have ever lived in a small town, I assumed this would show a fairly typical summer day but I kept waiting for more.

Did I get it? More, I mean. Well, there were a couple of semi-intense scenes with one scene where Rhett (Chris Pine) and his girlfriend have an intense conversation. However, by that point, I had lost my patience with the story but trudged on. One more scene with Donnie (John Hawkes) finally got the blood pumping in this tale but ended with no fanfare. My guess is that Small Town Saturday Night was going for realism and it delivered. I am just not sure it was a reality that interested me. Oh well.

One small little surprise did happen. Not with the story but there was a scene between Rhett and his father and I kept thinking, "WOW, they really do look alike - great casting." So I looked it up. It was a real father and son. Don't ask me why, but I enjoy knowing small trivial things like this; and if you look up Chris Pine's father you will know him. You may not know his name but you will recognize him. I am pretty sure.

So do I recommend Small Town Saturday Night? Maybe. It really depends what you are in the mood for, I suppose. But if you want to see Chris Pine strumming a guitar and actually singing, check it out.

My favorite part: Chris Pine playing guitar.

My least favorite part: One scene where you witness neglected and abused children playing in a front yard.

Rating: R
Length:  94 minutes

Review: 4 out of 10


P.S. If you want to see an indie film that is really good that stars Chris Pine, might I recommend Bottle Shock? Great film.

Click on film poster below to view films:
 

Rabbit Hole

Directed by John Cameron Mitchell, Olympus Pictures, 2010. Starring Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Sandra Oh and Dianne Wiest.

Genre: Drama

Question: When you are sad, do you hate it when people tell you how to feel and act so you are no longer sad?

Rabbit Hole, starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart, takes on a family's tragedy and it's aftermath with how the mother (Nicole Kidman) copes with the death of her 4 year-old son. Not a light subject but I was thoroughly engrossed with this woman's plight and how she handled it all. I found it fascinating that everyone around her kept telling her how to feel and react to get over "it". Her reactions, to the constant barrage of advice, was not something I have seen on film much. For that alone I recommend this film.

I cannot relate to the specific tragedy this woman (couple) must go through but everyone has been sad at one time or another. We have all had things in our lives that take us on a course down a dark road of uncertainty. Clawing back to the light to what feels normal and safe is difficult especially when friends abandon you, others try to relate their experiences to yours and all you want to do is curl up in a ball and be left alone. The film shows that not everyone handles other's grief well or with respect sometimes.

Does Rabbit Hole give any sort of advice on how to handle the overwhelming sadness, emptiness or helplessness? You will have to see for yourself, but it did show that everyone deals with their pain and suffering differently. How and when they begin to get past their loss is as individual as the person. Not only had Nicole Kidman's character have something bad happen to her world but their were other characters in Rabbit Hole that also conveyed how people deal with consequences that are thrust upon them.

Rabbit Hole was a tender and poignant film. Nicole Kidman with Aaron Eckhart did a fantastic job at exposing the underbelly of how a couple handles the tragic death of their child. Anger, resentment and the search for closeness with others in order to feel something other than pain are all present in this story. There were times of humor and a cathartic need to take a large sigh during some scenes. But above all, the overwhelming sadness that had taken over the grieving mother (Nicole Kidman) and then her pursuit to be left alone to discover her own path out of her darkness was awe-inspiring. Kidman outdid herself on keeping the subject matter palpable and relatable even if you have never lost a child.

Does this film have a happy ending? Well, I won't say but the journey that was exposed was worth watching because how authentic the story was portrayed.

My favorite thing: Nicole Kidman's performance.

My least favorite thing: Can't really think of anything at the moment.


Rating: PG-13
Length: 91 minutes

Review: 8 out of 10

Click on film poster below to watch instantly:
 

Things I Don't Understand

Directed (written & produced) by David Spaltro,  Embrace The Fall, 2011. Starring Molly Ryman, Aaron Mathias, Grace Folsom and Lisa Eichhorn

Genre: Drama

Question: How many of you ponder the meaning of it all and what happens to you after you die? Yep, that's what I thought. Anyone got any answers they would like to share?

I just finished a screener for Things I Don't Understand by independent film-maker David Spaltro. Unfortunately this is not available in the theatre or for rent yet. Hopefully, this film will be in many festivals so others have an opportunity to view it. I will go into a little further detail than I normally do so you can fully understand what the film-maker created.

This is Spaltro's 2nd film and I think he took on a rather ambitious theme with this one: Wondering what's the point of everything, why do people die and what happens to them afterwards, or at least that is how it started out. However, I think he decided to really tell a story of a woman searching for love and learning how to love especially when things that matter to her go away and despite the fact that people didn't treat her as she deserved (parental issues).

Things I Don't Understand starts off with a grad student, Violet Kubelick, who is studying near-death experiences for her thesis. Violet is a  brilliant woman who feels she doesn't deserve to be loved due to her upbringing. However, while doing her research she decides to see if what people were saying was true about the bright light and having an overwhelming feeling of being loved by attempting suicide. Perhaps she thought it was her only option to feel loved. Fortunately her attempt fails but her search for love intensifies.


Sprinkled throughout the film, Violet visits with a therapist after her suicide attempt (and I think she may be her professor as well) and some of the best dialogue of the film was exchanged during these sessions - mostly by Violet, with snarky comebacks. Spaltro does have away with getting to the point of a moment and really delivering words that make you sit up and think. That was a treat for me - I am always on the lookout for great dialogue and I found some here.

The rest of the movie has Violet befriending a young woman, Sara, who is terminally ill and in hospice care while interviewing her for her thesis. She is the one who really has the right to be angry because her life is ending just as it was beginning but she has accepted her fate. Violet takes notice but soon becomes involved with a man who is probably too damaged to get close to, all while her two flighty artist roommates and she are being evicted from their apartment and have no means to stay or another place to go. All of her self-doubt mixed in with life's daily stresses, Violet becomes overwhelmed yet again but takes a different path that leads her to the answers she's been seeking and finally acceptance.

Spaltro's vision to find the final message was a surprise and a delight; and I really liked how he wrapped it all up in the end with the main character's thesis. That I won't give away because I thought that was the most brilliant part of the whole movie. I enjoyed most of the performances - specifically the actress who played Violet, Molly Ryman.

So take notice Hollywood. David Spaltro has the right stuff to go on to become a great film-maker. Enjoy Things I Don't Understand.


My favorite thing: The dialogue.

My least favorite: A little too much of other characters' dilemmas. Seemed a little unnecessary.

Rating: unknown
Length: 109 minutes

Review: 7 out of 10