April 2015 – Page 4 – LFM: Libertas Film Magazine

LFM Reviews Fastball @ Tribeca 2015

By Joe Bendel. They say for fastball pitchers, it more about movement and location then velocity, unless they can hurl it over 100 mph. In that case, it really is about velocity. Some of the game’s best power pitchers and power hitters explain what it is like to be on either side of the high heat in Jonathan Hock’s enormously entertaining Fastball, which screens during the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival.

Obviously it is almost impossible to compare pitchers from different eras, but Hock and his on-screen experts will develop a methodology to do just that. Hock surveys the game-changingest fastball pitchers throughout baseball history, starting with Walter Johnson’s celebrated 122 feet per second fastball, segueing into Bob Feller’s still impressive 98.6 mph benchmark. Yankee fans will be delighted to see Goose Gossage get ample screen time, but will be baffled by the absence of Mariano Rivera (what, the cutter doesn’t count?). Still, future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter turns up as consolation (presumably he is like Martin Scorsese in classic cinema docs – if you can get him, you find a place for him).

Okay, fans from every city might wonder why their respective teams are not better represented, but nobody will question the time spent with Bob Gibson and Nolan Ryan. There are even more Hall of Famers represented on the hitters’ side of the equation, including George Brett (yes, the pine tar incident is revisited), Hank Aaron, and Al Kaline. Some fans might find it rather bittersweet seeing the recently passed Ernie Banks and Tony Gwynn adding even more class to the film.

There are a lot of laugh-out-loud stories in Fastball, but there is also a lot of nostalgia. In fact, the film becomes unapologetically sentimental and empathetic when chronically the story of Steve Dalkowski, the almost Major Leaguer who partly inspired the film Bull Durham. It is a tough game sometimes.

Surprisingly, Hock even incorporates lessons in physics and physiology into the film that really heighten our appreciation of fastball pitching (and hitting). The manner in which the documentary breaks down and adjusts fastball measurement over time might sound a little geeky, but it is totally perfect for such a wonky, numbers-obsessed sport. To Hock’s credit, Fastball is willing to make the call as to which pitcher really was the fastest, without any hedging or second-guessing, so there is even some suspense built in.

Throughout the film, Hock always hits the right notes and Kevin Costner’s narration is the perfect finishing touch. If you are a baseball fan, Fastball will bring make fond memories of the game and if you do not follow the boys of summer, you can still enjoy the anecdotes. Highly recommended, Fastball screens again this Saturday (4/25) and Sunday (4/26), as part of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

LFM GRADE: A

Posted on April 23rd, 2015 at 3:59pm.

LFM Reviews The Forger @ Tribeca 2015

By Joe Bendel. Raymond J. Cutter is not exactly Raffles or the Pink Panther. This working class art thief and forger is a decidedly Gloomy Gus. His son Will’s terminal illness gives him a very valid reason. To get out of prison while there is still time to reconnect with the young lad, Cutter makes a deal with the devil involving a Monet. Eventually, things will get caperish in Philip Martin’s The Forger, which screens during the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival.

With a little less than a year left on his sentence, Cutter would ordinarily sit tight and do the time. Unfortunately, time is one thing Will Cutter does not have, so Cutter reaches out to Keegan, a Boston mobster, to “fix” things with the judge. Of course, there will be a quid pro quo. In this case, Cutter must steal Monet’s Woman with a Parasol on loan from the National Gallery, replacing it with a fake. It seems Keegan desperately needs to clear a debt to his art-loving cartel connection—hence the caper.

It takes a while to get to the actual art thievery, though. Instead, Martin and screenwriter Richard D’Ovidio force viewers to cool their heels in a lot of hospital waiting rooms and sit through many father-and-son heart-to-hearts. Patience and character development are both good things, but at some point the film starts to feel like it is stalling for time.

It has been a while since Travolta rekindled that old magic on-screen, but in a way that works to his advantage here. Believe it or not, he is quite good as Cutter, forcefully conveying all his guilt and regret, without wallowing in melodramatic excess. Unfortunately, Tye Sheridan is pretty dull and wooden as his son, whereas it is hard to know what to make of Christopher Plummer as Travolta’s extremely Irish father.

There are random flashes of chemistry between Travolta and Abigail Spencer’s Special Agent Paisley, but the film goes out of its way to keep them apart. The actual heist is well executed, but the film’s casts its lead characters as Red Sox fans, thereby making it extremely difficult to establish any degree of viewer sympathy.

Much to the frustration of his fans, The Forger probably ranks as one of Travolta’s better vehicles in recent years (anyone care to make a case for Old Dogs or Wild Hogs? Anyone?). It is not without merit, but it is maddeningly uneven and undeniably slow out of the blocks. Watchable but hardly worthy of Manhattan movie ticket prices, The Forger opens tomorrow (4/24) in New York, at the AMC Empire.

LFM GRADE: C+

Posted on April 23rd, 2015 at 3:59pm.

LFM Reviews Paolo & Vittorio Taviani’s Wondrous Boccaccio @ Tribeca 2015

By Joe Bendel. When you are waiting to possibly die, telling stories is a fine way to pass the time—especially if you have sworn off hanky-panky. Such is the position ten high-born friends find themselves in when they seek refuge in the countryside from the Black Death ravaging Renaissance Florence. They will learn how to cook for themselves and will take turns telling stories in Paolo & Vittorio Taviani’s Wondrous Boccaccio, which screens during the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival.

The plague has reduced Florence to anarchy, so a group of friends retreats to a country villa. There they will either wait out the horrors racking the city or die in relative comfort. Like the pilgrims in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (generally thought to be inspired by Boccaccio’s Decameron), they will tell stories to entertain each other. The Taviani Brothers chose five out of the one hundred assorted tales and anecdotes, three of which live up to their implied greatest hits status and two that seem rather slight.

The telling of tales begins with perhaps the best, the almost Shakespearean saga of Catalina, a young wife who apparently dies of the plague and is callously cast away by her mother-in-law, only to be reclaimed first in death and then in life by her secret admirer. It is followed by the Medieval O. Henry tale of a lonely falconer who serves up his beloved bird to Giovanna the woman who spurned him, yet now has her own reasons for needing his now broiled companion. The Brothers Taviani also evoke the spirit of Pasolini with a wild and bawdy tale of cloistered sex and intrigue, mercifully sparing us the auteur’s excesses.

WondrousBoccaccio2 — From "Wondrous Boccaccio."

Unlike other Decameron adaptations and anthology films in general, the Tavianis are most interested in the framing narrative rather than the constituent tales. The opening scenes in Florence are strikingly stark and stylish, again inviting comparison to Pasolini and Terry Gilliam.

At times the cast is a bit difficult to distinguish from one another, like good Italian proletariats, but Josafat Vagni and Jasmine Trinca definitely stand out in the Falconer’s Tale. However, cinematographer Simone Zampagni, costumer Lina Nerli Taviani, and production designer Emita Frigato’s team are the real stars of the film. Wondrous just looks like a work of art worth framing.

Wondrous is actually often quite ribald, but it is such a classy package it always feels like proper prestige cinema (except maybe during the convent tale). Recommended for those who enjoy mature literary adaptations, Wondrous Boccaccio screens again tonight (4/22) and Sunday (4/26), as part of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

LFM GRADE: B

Posted on April 22nd, 2015 at 1:07pm.

LFM Reviews Kung Fu Killer

By Joe Bendel. Hahou Mo is no Hannibal Lecter, but this will still be a case where a killer is recruited to catch a killer. In his thirst to become the number one martial artist, Hahou Mo won a fateful match, but lost his honor and his liberty. Although he dearly regrets losing control, another martial artist is deliberately following his fatal example. The mystery man is seeking out all the masters Hahou Mo beat, but his challenges necessarily end in death. Teddy Chan marries together the martial arts and serial killer genres in Kung Fu Killer, which opens this Friday in New York.

Even though he was once a police instructor, nobody in Stanley Prison messes with Hahou Mo, for obvious reasons. However, when he hears of the first victim and the circumstances surrounding his murder, Hahou Mo has to do something dramatic to attract the attention of Detective Inspector Luk Yuen-sum, unfortunately for seventeen of his fellow inmates. At first, she wants nothing to do with him, but he is soon remanded into her custody when one of the names he gives her turns out to be the next victim.

The newly freed Hahou Mo quickly deduces the pathological Fung Yu-sau is working his way through the masters of each respective discipline: boxing, kicking, grappling, qi, weapons, and inner energy. As the former head of the Mergence school of Kung Fu, his name is all over the latter. To raise the stakes even further, his former school is now overseen by Sinn Ying, the love of his life.

You don’t need to read a book on screenwriting to guess Hahou Mo and Fung Yu-sau will go toe-to-toe in the third act. Even though the highway setting is somewhat reminiscent of scenes in Iceman, the climatic duel lives up to expectations and then some. Donnie Yen’s fight choreography is bruising yet quite cinematic. Fans only complaint might be some of the earlier duels end too soon, but at least Louis Fan gets his money’s worth as Weapons Champ Hung Yip.

As Hahou Mo, Yen once again demonstrates why he is one of the biggest stars in the world. His skills are as sharp as ever and he remains a likable, charismatic screen presence. He has okay chemistry with Michelle Bai’s Sinn Yang, who also displays some strong martial arts chops. Indeed, she acquits herself quite well in her action feature spot, but again, it is too bad this did not become an extended centerpiece scene, like Jing Tian’s spectacular face-off with Andy On in Special ID. Typically known for comedic roles and psychopaths, Wang Baoqiang finds unexpected pathos in Fung Yu-sau, playing him as both a sinister and tragic figure, almost like a Phantom of the Opera.

Due to Chinese censorship, Chan’s film was known as Kung Fu Jungle in Mainland theaters, which seems pretty ridiculous, but at least some apparatchik was able to exercise his power. Needless to say, Kung Fu Killer is more accurately descriptive. Yen delivers the goods and scores of figures associated with old school HK action films get to feel the love in smaller supporting roles. Darker than many of Yen’s films, but still all kinds of fun, Kung Fu Killer is highly recommended for martial arts fans when it opens this Friday (4/24) in New York, at the AMC Empire.

LFM GRADE: B+

Posted on April 22nd, 2015 at 1:06pm.

LFM Reviews Sunrise @ Tribeca 2015

By Joe Bendel. If Andrew Vachss made a Giallo in Mumbai, you would have to give it your full attention. Arguably, India could use a child protection advocate and cautionary story teller like Vachss, judging by the reported 60,000 children that go missing in the country every year. It is a grim statistic that opens Partho Sen-Gupta’s hallucinatory but hard-hitting Sunrise, which screens during the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival.

Lakshman Joshi is a social services inspector with the Mumbai police force (think SVU). His own daughter Aruna was kidnapped and the copper still isn’t over it. Neither is his wife Leela. In fact, they might both be losing their grip on reality, but in very different ways. When Joshi starts investigating the suspected abduction of another young girl named Naina, her case and that of his daughter become intertwined with the presumed visions Joshi has had of a seedy nightclub ironically called Paradise.

As Joshi chases a shadowy figure through the city’s rain-drenched streets, he experiences increasing difficulty distinguishing reality from his visions. It might even be bigger than Joshi’s problematic perception, as the film’s border between reality and fantasy becomes increasingly porous.

Sunrise is the sort of massively stylish Lynchian-film-on-acid that can overwhelm even the sturdiest screen presence. However, Adil Hussain’s absolutely riveting work as Joshi stands out and stands tall. It is a haunting, soul-searing performance that is all the more impressive given the gallons upon gallons of water that are dumped on him over the course of the film.

The ultra-noir and uber-surreal tone of Sunrise makes it unlikely to go mainstream, which is too bad, because it has an important message. Coming in the wake of the India’s Daughter censorship controversy, it viscerally addresses another social pathology many Indians are inclined to sweep under the rug. With recent studies suggesting 53% of the nation’s children have suffered some form of sexual abuse, you can quibble with numbers here and there, but the trends and the magnitudes are undeniably alarming.

Be that as it sadly is, Sunrise is a bravura work of auteurist cinema. Sen-Gupta and cinematographer Jean-Marc Ferriere give the film a striking look, using the lurid Giallo color palate and the traditional nocturnal neons of film noir. Highly recommended for fans of high-end mind-benders with a social purpose, Sunrise screens again tonight (4/22) and tomorrow (4/23), as part of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

LFM GRADE: A-

Posted on April 22nd, 2015 at 1:06pm.

LFM Reviews Anita B.

By Joe Bendel. Anne Frank should have had the chance to become a young woman like Anita. Although she is a Holocaust survivor, she is ready to start living again. However, unlike the extended relatives she now lives with, she is absolutely unwilling to forget the past. This leads to tension in Roberto Faenza’s Anita B., which opens this Friday in New York.

Somehow, Anita survived Auschwitz, but most of her Hungarian family did not. She is finally leaving the Red Cross shelter to move in with the only relatives she has left—her Aunt Monika (sister of her dearly departed mother), Uncle Aron, and his kid brother Eli. Thanks to the expulsion of the Germans from the Sudetenland, they were able to find a sufficient flat in their new Czechoslovakian homeland. Much to Anita’s surprise, Aunt Monika is decidedly cold when receiving her, but not Eli. Anita tries to discourage her advances, but she slowly falls for his awkward charms.

Whenever Anita tries to talk about her horrific experiences, she is abruptly shut-down. As a result, she can only really talk to Roby, Monika and Aron’s toddler son, who immediately adores Anita. Unfortunately, as she slowly falls for Eli, the mounting Communist oppression and the widespread anti-Semitic sentiment they foster do not bode well for the future. That is exactly why David, Anita’s salt-of-the-earth workmate, plans to immigrate to what will soon be Israel.

Anita B. is an English-language Italian-production set in Sudetenland Czechoslovakia, featuring Hungarian characters, but it does not have the tin ear you might fear. Faenza also shows a fair degree of restraint when it comes to the melodrama. The film rather matter-of-factly depicts Anita’s struggles with the coming-of-age process and the realities of being Jewish in postwar Eastern Europe.

Eline Powell (who had a small but memorable role in Private Peaceful) sensitively portrays Anita’s strength and vulnerability. On the other hand, Irish actor Robert Sheehan somehow combines the worst character traits of a womanizing cad and a gangly sad sack as Eli. However, Clive Riche and Jane Alexander add a lot of seasoning as an understanding doctor full of surprises and Sarah the local recruiter for the Zionist immigration movement.

There are no scenes of the actual horrors of the Holcaust in Anita B. Some might find that questionable, but this way, the unsavoriness of post-war anti-Semitism is not dwarfed on screen by the enormity of Anita’s time in Auschwitz. It is a respectful film and perhaps a tad too tidy, but it focuses on an intriguing but under-dramatizing transitional period of history. Evangelical audiences will also appreciate it holds pro-life implications, in a variety of ways. Recommended for those looking for a straight-over-the-plate, life-affirming film, Anita B. opens this Friday (4/24) in New York, at the Quad Cinema.

LFM GRADE: B

Posted on April 21st, 2015 at 2:28pm.