Very Good AgeEsteem Movies for May 2011
May 2011 AU CINEMA
Very Good ***
The Fighter *** Another true story, of two brothers, from the wrong side of Boston, who manage to hit the boxing big time due to their (sometimes destructive) loyalty to each other, and despite an overpowering mother, drugs and a band of loony sisters. Oscar-winning acting all around.
Pina 3D ***1/2 (vo German/English) Remember Wim Wender’s trailblazing documentary about Cuba’s Buena Vista Social Club? He enchants us once again, this time on the sublime dance sequences of the late German choreographer, Pina Bausch. Here’s one master honoring another….
Rabbit Hole ***1/2 A haunting story of the loss of a child, the mourning process and what it does to the marital relationship. Director John Cameron Mitchell manages to grip you from the get-go and Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart carry their cross with honor and grace, plus a great crew.
Cirkus Columbia *** (vo Serb) Danis Tanovic hit the film world with a bang with his outstanding No Man’s Land, winning many awards. His concern with the war and the tearing up of his country, Yugoslavia, continues here. 1991 – just before the war, in a bucolic village, a successful native son returns from Germany after 20 years, with money and a sexy girlfriend. Things have changed….
The Company Men *** Here is an up-dated, more human Glengarry Glen Ross, about the harrowing tale of men losing their jobs and feeling completely paralyzed and rudderless in a ruthless corporate system. Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Costner and the whole cast are excellent.
Women without Men *** (vo Farsi) Shirin Neshat, the celebrated Persian artist, spins a melancholy, hypnotic tale of four women from varied backgrounds who come together against the backdrop of the 1953 Mossadegh/Shah/CIA upheavals in Iran. Despite its magical surrealism, it’s uncannily timely.
The Adjustment Bureau (L’agence) *** Here’s a fine romantic thriller that’s also a philosophical mind-bender. Matt Damon convinces again as the fellow who dares defy fate and its weird agents. There’s great, intelligent fun in this freewill vs destiny brain-twister.
Silent Souls (Le dernier voyage de Tanya) *** (vo Russian) A strange, evocative saga of a burial in a remote part of Russia. Two men take the body of the woman they’ve both loved on a journey to a pagan ceremony of farewell. Slow, moody and quite unforgettable.
Hugo Koblet – Pedaleur de charme *** (vo German) This docu/biography on the famed Swiss champion cyclist of the 1950s, Hugo Koblet, is an eye-opener about the man who charmed his fans and the ladies but somehow lost track of his own life. Delightfully retro portrait of those simpler times….
The Source Code *** Jake Gyllenhall plays a heroic soldier who has to find the bomber of a passenger train. Duncan Jones, who did the mysterious Moon, is again in futuristic mode and grabs us once more in this thriller that defies logical convention and could go on to another fine sequel…
Rio 3D *** Very cute animated tale of a nerdy Minnesota blue parrot and his devoted mistress who end up in Rio de Janeiro , with all the fun, beauty and trouble you can imagine there. The birds are a blast, the sound track is bombastic and it’s a super panorama of Rio life.
Die Fremde (When you Leave) *** (vo German/Turkish) Austrian Feo Aladag’s first feature film is a strong statement on the divide between Eastern and Western culture in Germany. A Turkish woman leaves her husband and wants to live a decent life with her little son. Her conservative family feels their honor has been tainted. What ensues is shocking, tragic and all too real.
Justine Bieber – Never Say Never **1/2 I thought this teenage singing phenomenon was just another fabricated, fluffy-haired flash-in-the-pan, until I saw the film. The kid is really talented and knows how to put on a show, which culminates in Madison Square Garden. He’s adorable, clean-cut, loves his family and is a good influence on his myriad young fans. Check him out.
