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K Callan and Stephen Baldwin in "Midnight Clear" |
Review: So much for going out with a bang. One can only assume that this undercooked Christmas turkeyÑwhich will go direct to DVD on Dec. 4Ñwas chosen to close this yearÕs FLIFF simply because star Stephen Baldwin agreed to show his face at the screening. BaldwinÕs actually not bad as a man in the middle of a divorce whoÕs so down on his luck that he loses his job on Christmas Eve. And heÕs not the only one feeling alone and desperate in this ensemble-driven faith-based drama thatÕs directed with a heavy hand by Dallas Jenkins. So what starts out as something of a downer turns out to an obvious and mushy tale of hope, redemption and spiritual renewal. Unless you really want to catch a glimpse of the Baldwin brother not named Alec or William, skip Midnight Clear or wait until next month when you can watch it in the comfort of your home.
ÑRobert Sims
Midnight Clear screens 5 p.m. Sunday, November 11 at the Rose and Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center. Visit http://www.fliff.com/film.asp?filmID=1646&catID=16 for more information.
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Chris Klein and Freddie Prinze Jr. in
"New York City Serenade" |
Review: Freddie Prinze Jr. and Chris Klein shake away their city life in this engaging buddy comedy directed with great empathy by The DoorsÕ Frank Whaley. Prinze turns in an mediocre woe-is-me performance as an aspiring film director, but the usually stiff Klein finally loosens up and proves to be a real hoot as dead-beat dad unable to settle down. WhaleyÕs witty study in arrested development also manages to poke fun at the film festival experience. So donÕt be surprised if the people laughing the hardest during New York City Serenade are FLIFFÕs indefatigable volunteers.
ÑRobert Sims
Midnight Clear screens 5 p.m. Saturday, November 10 at Cinema Paradiso. Visit http://www.fliff.com/film.asp?filmID=1696&
catID=16 for more information. |
Aaron Stanford and Kristen Stewart in "The Cake Eaters" |
Review: Unlike the demanding but imaginative Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Mary Stuart MastersonÕs portrait of a young woman coping with her physical disabilities feels only slightly edgier than your typical Lifetime TV movie of the week. That said, The Cake Eaters benefits from the presence of the tough but likable Kristen Stewart, whose quest to lose her virginity plays out in true tragicomic fashion. Why Stewart would waste her affections on a dour school cafeteria worker limply played by TadpoleÕs Aaron Stanford remains something of a mystery. Their romance seems so lifeless compared to the one between old pros Bruce Dern and Elizabeth Ashley, who play StanfordÕs father and StewartÕs grandmother with much gusto. The Cake Eaters is a bit too slow for its own good, but at least Masterson thankfully keeps the sentimentality to a minimum.
ÑRobert Sims
The Cake Eaters screens 7 p.m. Thursday, November 8 and 9 p.m. November 9 at the Rose and Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center. Visit http://www.fliff.com/film.asp?filmID=1822&catID=16 for more information. |
Mathieu Amalric (right) in
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" |
Review: It would be easy to dismiss director Julian SchnabelÕs adaptation of the late Elle editor Jean-Dominique BaubyÕs autobiography as just France's version of My Left Foot. Yes, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is the latest in a long line of inspirational fact-based films about physically and/or mentally challenged people overcoming their disabilities. But Schnabel takes a fresh approach by shooting the first act from a first-person perspective. That allows us to see everything Bauby sees the moment he wakes up from a coma and learns that a stroke has left him paralyzed. The result is confusing, disorienting and taxingÑbut it works because we receive a greater understanding of what itÕs like to be in BaubyÕs place. Stay the course and you will be greatly rewarded for your patience. Once Bauby accepts his fate, Schnabel allows us to see him as we would him. And then he concentrates on BaubyÕs efforts to write his autobiography by using an elaborate process that involves spelling out words through blinking. ItÕs mesmerizing to watch the intrepid Mathieu AmalricÑas BaubyÑcommunicate so effectively in this manner even though heÕs practically motionless for the entire the film, bar for a few choice flashbacks. Like Daniel Day-Lewis before him, Amalric indelibly proves that the mind can and will thrive even when the body is broken and beyond repair.
ÑRobert Sims
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly screens 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 30 and 7:30 p.m. November 1 at the Regal Cypress Creek Station. Visit http://fliff.com/film.asp?filmID=1752&catID=16 for more information. |
Review: Minnie DriverÕs found her MonsterÕs Ball. As a working-class mother willing herself to meet face to face with the man responsible for her sonÕs death, Minnie Driver offers a heartfelt study in grief and forgiveness. Director Charles Oliver soberly recalls the fateful night the young boy dies through the use of flashbacks, which creates an unbearable sense of dread and doom. The way Oliver tells Take also allows us to appreciate even more the sacrifices DriverÕs Ana made for her troubled son, Jesse, whoÕs played with refreshing candor by Bobby Coleman. Take doesnÕt put forth any excuses for the desperate actions taken by Jeremy RennerÕs up-to-his-neck-in-debt gambler that results in JesseÕs death. But Renner's quietly forceful performance shows how addiction can make a man to go to extremesafter hitting rock bottom. A compelling character study about loss and regret, Take offers a compelling and convincing argument that to forgiveÑbut not forgetÑis the only way to move forward with your life after suffering a terrible tragedy.
ÑRobert Sims
Take screens 7:30 p.m. Saturday, October 27 at Cinema Paradiso and 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 30 at the Regal Cypress Creek Station. Visit http://www.fliff.com/film.asp?filmID=1823&catID=16 for more information. |
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