Month: March 2014

Kids Like to Chat: LFM Reviews uwantme2killhim

By Joe Bendel. In 2003, a sixteen year-old kid from Manchester should have been on Friendster. Instead, Mark is getting touchy feely in an anonymous chat-room. That always leads to bad things in the movies and this based-on-a-true-story teen angst-thriller is no exception. Once again, the internet apparently turns a clean-cut popular kid into a killer in Andrew Douglas’s awkwardly titled uwantme2killhim?, produced by Bryan “X-Men” Singer, which opens this Friday in Los Angeles.

Mark, the shaggy-haired jock, pretty much has his pick of the girls at school, while John basically serves as the campus punching bag. However, Mark agrees to take John under his wing when he discovers he is the younger brother of Rachel, his online girlfriend. He has never met her face to face because she and her abusive boyfriend, Kevin McNeil, are in the witness protection program, which makes perfect sense to Mark.

Since webcams were not such a common accessory at the time, Mark falls for her solely on the basis of her photo and her sub-literate chat dialogue. Unfortunately, when the thuggish McNeil kills Rachel out of jealousy, it thoroughly destabilizes Mark, leaving him susceptible to the ominous offers of the MI-5 agent supposedly monitoring McNeil.

Right, you are probably already smelling a rat and you will not be not far wrong if you can think of a tasty fish they like to fry up in Louisiana. The only real questions are who is playing Mark and why? Mike Walden’s dramatic adaptation of Judy Bachrach’s Vanity Fair article does its best to pepper red herrings throughout, but the in medias res structure does not help to build any real suspense.

From "uwantme2killhim."

It is rather compelling to watch Jamie Blackley transform Mark from a big man on campus to an anti-social head case. However, Douglas (best known for helming the Amityville Horror remake) is not able to convincingly convey the sort of slow frogs-boiling-water process necessary to undermine his previously well-adjusted psyche Uwantetc also boasts an intriguing supporting cast, including Downton Abbey’s Joanne Froggart (Lady Mary’s maid, Anna) as DI Sarah Clayton and Jaime Winstone as Rachel, but it never gives them much to do.

When was the last time the internet served as an agent of progress on film? Clearly, the movie business is still holding a grudge for all the business presumably lost to file-sharers. Despite the not so shocking plot twists, the character’s psychological dynamics are still provocative and ultimately rather sad and disturbing. Unfortunately, Douglas and Walden were apparently determined to maximize the film’s timeliness with their compulsive attention to British surveillance practices. Yet the events of the film could ironically support even more extensive and pervasive online monitoring policies. An earnest misfire, uwantme2killhim? opens this Friday (3/14) in Los Angeles at the Laemmle NoHo 7.

LFM GRADE: C

Posted on March 13th, 2014 at 7:53pm.

LFM Reviews Monster

From "Monster."

By Joe Bendel. There are enough fractured families here to keep an American sitcom fully stocked. There is also a serial killer stalking them, so their limited numbers will only get smaller. However, the stone cold murderer in question may have finally crossed paths with the wrong vegetable hawker in Hwang In-ho’s dark thriller, Monster, which opens tomorrow in Los Angeles.

Bok-soon is known in her neighborhood as a somewhat slow street vendor with anger management issues. Nevertheless, she works hard to provide for her somewhat younger sister Eun-jeong, who is a gifted student with a presumably bright future ahead of her. Young Na-ri also lived with her older sister, until she was killed by Tae-soo. Enjoying the chase, Tae-soo gives Na-ri an opportunity to run, just so he can hunt her down again. Eventually, Bok-soon and her sister take in the petrified girl. Unfortunately, Eun-jeong soon becomes his next victim.

Even though Bok-soon has an imperfect understanding of the situation, she is not one to take her sister’s murder lying down. In fact, she will go out looking for the killer’s lair, while doing her best to protect Na-ri. Meanwhile, Tae-soo continues to thoroughly creep out his adopted mother and loser step-brother, who originally unleashed the maniac on Na-ri’s sister, at the behest of his shady contacts. After all, what is the good of having a serial killer brother if you don’t use him as a free enforcer In retrospect, he might come to regret seeing Tae-soo’s murderous proficiency up-close-and-personal once again.

From "Monster."

The potentially exploitative perils of focusing on a mentally challenged focal character almost go without saying, especially when Hwang often has her creating various public spectacles. Nevertheless, Kim Go-eun helps rehabilitate Bok-soon with a fearlessly intense and vulnerable performance. We come to understand her own frustrations with herself and her fierce sense of loyalty, as well as the obvious fear and rage. Clearly intended as a dramatic change of pace from her breakout performance in Eungyo (A Muse), Kim looks considerably older than the Lolita-like character that ignited her career. Young Ahn Seo-hyun is also a tad older than when she stole nearly all of her scenes as the privileged daughter of Im Sang-soo’s The Housemaid, but she is still an unusually expressive and disciplined child actor.

In contrast, Lee Min-ki’s icy ruthlessness is adequate to the film’s needs, but it is nothing we have not seen before in dozens of previous psycho killer films. On the other hand, Kim Roi-ha and Kim Boo-seon give the film its darkly comic edge as his craven half-brother and his massively in-denial Mother Dearest. Their scenes together take family dysfunction to a whole new level.

Whatever objections audiences might have to Monster’s thematic excesses Hwang overcomes through the brute force of his thriller mechanics. Tense and violent, the film is a gripping (and exhausting) viewing experience. Recommended for fans of the serial killer genre and Kim Go-eun, Monster opens tomorrow (3/14) in Los Angeles at the CGV Cinemas.

LFM GRADE: B+

Posted on March 13th, 2014 at 7:47pm.

LFM Reviews A Town Called Panic: The Christmas Log @ The 2014 New York International Children’s Film Festival

By Joe Bendel. Santa is coming, so Indian and Cowboy are minding their behavior, but even their Christmas best is completely unruly and impulsive. The holidays only come once a year, but chaos reigns 365 days a year in this provincial village of plastic toys. Stéphane Aubier & Vincent Patar give viewers one of the rowdiest Christmas specials ever with A Town Called Panic: The Christmas Log, which screens as part of Short Film Program One at the 2014 New York International Children’s Film Festival.

The bickering Cowboy and Indian (they are Belgian, so they use politically incorrect terms) have not matured one whit since the Panic feature film. They still live with the infinitely more responsible Horse, trying his patience daily. When their fooling around accidentally ruins the Christmas log for Horse’s dinner party, they finally push him too far. Exasperated, Horse calls up Santa and cancels their gift delivery. Naturally, Cowboy and Indian try to fix the situation, but only make matters worse.

Right, so Merry Christmas one and all. Do not look for any cheap sentiment here. Linus will not explain the true meaning of Christmas, nor will the Grinch be joining the citizenry of Whoville for a Christmas roast. Instead, Town Called Panic delivers a feast of increasingly reckless lunacy that only molded plastic figurines could survive. In short, it is all good stuff.

At twenty-six minutes, Christmas Log is the longest film in Program One and a reasonably substantial fix for fans of the feature. However, Panic die-hards will miss hearing Cowboy and Indian calling each other “bastards,” presumably in accordance with the holiday spirit. It also makes Log somewhat more appropriate for the boundary-pushing NYICFF. Even still, the same ruckus vibe shines through.

From "A Town Called Panic."

In contrast to Cowboy and Indian’s bad behavior, the other standout of program one kindles the fires of youthful idealism and the spirit of discovery. Three classmates think they have unearthed a previously unseen fossil in Katerina Karhánková’s The New Species, but the adults just do not get it. It might be a simple story, but somehow Karhánková executes it with a tone that is both ironic and inspiring.

For animation connoisseurs, A Town Called Panic will be the main event, but the entire block is consistently entertaining. Jazz listeners will be particularly interested in Anna Kadykova’s The Mole at Sea, which features the stylish swinging of the Chizhik-Jazz-Quartet. Frankly, “In the Still of the Night” seems like a strange thematic choice to accompany the titular burrower on a Mr. Hulot-esque beach excursion, but so be it. On the other hand, Shakti-era John McLaughlin’s “Luki” is perfectly appropriate for Anna Khmeleskaya’s “The Centipede and the Toad,” a visually distinctive fable set amid India’s primordial rain forest. Recommended pretty highly for animation fans, especially those who appreciate a little stop motion slapstick comedy, the NYICFF’s Short Film Program One screens again Saturday (3/15), Sunday (3/23), Saturday (3/29), and Sunday (3/30) at various venues throughout the City.

LFM GRADE: B+

Posted on March 13th, 2014 at 7:42pm.

LFM Reviews Patema Inverted @ The 2014 New York International Children’s Film Festival

By Joe Bendel. Above ground, it is like George Orwell’s Oceania. Below ground, it is like Zion in Matrix: Revolutions, except this is a better film. It is easy to tell them apart, because the polarity of gravity is different for each. Yet, two young people will try to bridge the gap in Yasuhiro Yoshiura’s Patema Inverted, which screens during the 2014 New York International Children’s Film Festival.

Those who live above are pulled down, whereas those who live below are pushed up. Obviously, whenever the latter leave their underground warrens, they run the risk of floating out of the atmosphere. Nevertheless, their princess, Patema, has the compulsion to explore, much like her missing and presumed dead father figure, Lagos. Oddly enough, something similar happened to surface-dweller Age’s father. He invented a flying machine that went up, but never came down.

Being his father’s son, Age is out of step with the Aiga police state, so he instinctively protects Patema when she strays too far into his world. However, he is no match for the evil overlord Izamura’s secret police. With Patema captured, Age seeks refuge below ground, learning first-hand what is like to live an upside-down existence.

While Inverted has the trappings of dystopian science fiction, it is really more of fantasy at heart. Much of what transpires would be difficult to explain scientifically, so Yoshiura hardly bothers. Sure, some scientific experiment tampered with gravity way back when, but that is just the opening premise. Inverted opens up into a big, cosmic canvas, where up and down are never constant. Frankly, it might be one of the most dizzying films ever made—and it is in good old fashioned 2D.

Like Yoshiura’s excellent Time of Eve, Inverted is built around a high concept, but it does not have the same human touch as his prior NYICFF selection (which is an ironic thing to write, considering Eve is all about human-android interaction). Patema and Age are plucky and likable, with psychologically complex backstories, but they still are not as fully realized characters as those in Eve. Of course, Yoshiura set the bar really high in that film.

Still, by big budget animation standards, Inverted is quite thoughtful and engaging. It would make an interesting double feature with Cuarón’s Gravity, while Eve could be nicely paired up with Jonze’s Her. Easily recommended for its rich visuals and idealistic sensibilities, Patema Inverted screens again Saturday March 22nd at the SVA Theater, as the 2014 NYICFF continues over the next three weekends at venues throughout Manhattan. Future screenings will include the absolutely charming AninA and the appealing Annie: It’s a Hard Knock Life.

LFM GRADE: B+

Posted on March 9th, 2014 at 11:52pm.

LFM Reviews Foosball @ The 2014 New York International Children’s Film Festival

By Joe Bendel. For some hardcore table soccer players, only absolutely clean goals count. That is more stringent than the rules laid down by the international association, but nearly everyone frowns on three-sixty “spinnies.” However, all rule books get tossed out when an egomaniacal football (soccer) superstar challenges a nebbish table player in Juan José Campanella’s Foosball, which screens (in 2D) during the 2014 New York International Children’s Film Festival.

Amadeo’s son Mati thinks the old man is kind of a loser. Oh, but if he only knew the full story. In his old village home, Amadeo worked in the neighborhood bar and lovingly cared for the foosball table. He soon becomes the local champion, even besting the bullying Grosso. For years, this was his moment of glory and the foundation of his relationship with Laura, his almost girlfriend. Unfortunately, Grosso has returned, having achieved fame and fortune as a footballer. It seems the thuggish Grosso has bought the town in its entirety and intends to bulldoze everything to make way for his grand football complex. Naturally, his first target is Amadeo’s foosball table, the symbol of his only defeat.

Thoroughly demoralized, he only manages to save the captain, whom comes alive like Frosty when christened with one of Amadeo’s tears. Soon Amadeo’s entire Foos team is animated and reunited, along with the Maroons, their Washington General rivals. Of course, the small metallic men will be no match for the brutish Grosso, but they will coach Amadeo when he is forced to challenge his nemesis to a match on the football field.

It is not hard to see why Foosball was a monster hit in Argentina. The animation is at a Pixar level and it features all kinds of football action. It is an unlikely follow-up to Campanella’s Oscar winning melancholy mystery, The Secret in Their Eyes, but Foosball shows a bit of an analog sensibility, preferring the physicality of foosball to insubstantial video games. Viewers are also clearly invited to disdain Grosso’s nouveau riche excesses.

From "Foosball."

Without question, the little foos men are the film’s not so secret weapons. Lovingly scratched and worn in appropriate detail, they cleverly send-up archetypes that will be familiar to even casual soccer watchers. Yet for adults, Grosso’s unapologetically corpulent and equally acerbic agent often steals the show.

Campanella scores a lot of laughs in Foosball, while saying quite a bit about fair play and self-respect. It is a lot of fun, but it actually is not the best Latin American animated film at this year’s NYICFF. That would be Alfredo Soderguit’s sweet and sensitive AninA, hailing from Uruguay. Still, young boys will probably dig Foosball more. Recommended for sports fans of all ages, Foosball screens again this coming Saturday (3/15) at the SVA Theater and Saturday the 29th at the IFC Center, as this year’s NYICFF continues at venues throughout the City.

LFM GRADE: B

Posted on March 9th, 2014 at 11:41pm.

A House is Not Always A Home: LFM Reviews Haunt

By Joe Bendel. If you have seen The Grudge, you understand the dead are rather angry at the world in general. As it happens there are very specific reasons why the Ashers’ new house does not have such a homey feel. Their teenage son and his new girlfriend will find themselves caught up in the supernatural goings on in Mac Carter’s Haunt, which opens today in New York.

Evidently, Evan Asher had some issues in the past, but his parents initially think this move will be good for him – especially when he immediately picks up with Sam, a nice girl from the trailer park side of the tracks. Unfortunately, his room is right next to the house’s secret cellar door, where it all went down, whatever it was. Coming across an old radio tube contraption of a Ouija board, the teens inadvertently stir up the angry presences even more.

Although the Asher parents remain duly oblivious, freaky things start happening. Yet Sam still prefers crashing at their house than dealing with her abusive father. Jane Morello, the mother and only surviving member of the previous family, ought to have some insight into the house’s dark history, but she is reluctant to talk, except to provide the film’s occasional voice-overs.

Haunt is a good example of how a horror film can realize a very creepy vibe on a limited budget. All the ominous nooks and crannies of the house and that cursed box give the film a memorable look. While the narrative is relatively simple, Carter does not blatantly telegraph the final shoe to drop. In fact, following the big reveal, he wraps it up rather precipitously, almost seeming rushed.

From "Haunt."The kids are at least alright in Haunt, particularly Liana Liberato, who comes across as much more natural and grounded than the cringey problem daughters she played in Erased and the train wreck that was Trespass. Harrison Gilbertson helps make amends for Virginia’s manic-depressive melodrama with his reasonably restrained and engaging work as the teenaged Asher. It is a little mind-blowing to see Ione Skye (from Say Anything and River’s Edge) as the clueless mom, but she is fine adhering to minimal demands of the time-honored stock character. However, it is Jacki Weaver who really gets to chew some scenery in her all too brief appearances as the widow Morello.

Ironically, Haunt probably would have been less effective if it had greater resources at its disposal. Flashy special effects would have ruined the intimate scares. Ragged around the edges, but respectably scrappy, Haunt is recommended for horror movie fans when it opens today (3/7) in New York at the IFC Center.

LFM GRADE: B

Posted on March 7th, 2014 at 9:49pm.