Category: 4. Joe Bendel

LFM Reviews American Hero

By Joe Bendel. You’ll notice nobody is calling Melvin “the greatest,” or even relatively good. Frankly, on a lot of days the “hero” part is a bit of a stretch. Unlike Ralph Hinckley, he lacks a steady job, but he has plenty of vices. However, he has largely mastered his powers, but how he uses them is a constant source of frustration for his friends and family in screenwriter-director Nick Love’s American Hero, which opens this Friday in New York.

Melvin drinks, inhales drugs, sleeps around, and moves large objects with the power of his mind, such as it is. He is currently barred from seeing his son, pending a psych evaluation. This bothers Melvin, but not enough to make him clean up his act. That in turn bothers his wheelchair bound best friend Lucille—he’s a he, who suffered a spinal injury during the first Gulf War. A documentary crew is following Melvin, but it isn’t pretty. Since he is being filmed and all, maybe he will finally get his wake up call and resolve to put his telekinetic powers to use on behalf of Katrina-distressed New Orleans neighborhood. Or not.

AmericanHeroConsidering how much juvenile behavior it depicts, Hero is a remarkably sober and mature film. Acting like an Animal House reject just isn’t cute anymore for the people surrounding Melvin. Love is astute enough to understand that it is not funny. It’s sad. For a scruffy independent production, the special effects are also uncommonly polished and professional grade. The film also has a strong sense of place, capturing the look and rhythm of NOLA life in the outer wards.

Looking like a lifelong stranger to Schick and Gillette, Stephen Dorff is so charismatically disreputable, he maintains audience sympathy even at his most hedonistic nadir. He looks comfortable with the action sequences, but fully taps into Melvin’s pathos. Eddie Griffin is also dramatically less annoying as Melvin than his typical screen appearances. That is not to say he does not induce plenty of cringing, just not to his usual extent. Regardless, they forge some not bad buddy chemistry together.

Love happens to be British, but he has a fine eye and ear for local color. Years ago, the only way superhero movies could be credible was as small scale character studies, like Greatest American Hero or Hero at Large. American Hero feels like a refreshing return to that tradition. It is a nice little film that is affectionately recommended for superhero fans when it opens this Friday (12/11) at the Village East in New York and the Zeitgeist Arts Center in New Orleans.

LFM GRADE: B

Posted on December 8th, 2015 at 8:32am.

LFM Reviews Indigenous

From "Indigenous."
From “Indigenous.”

By Joe Bendel. There is a good reason why the Pan-American Highway has yet to penetrate the Darien Gap. For years, it has been a base of operations for the brutal Marxist FARC guerillas, who have kidnapped and murdered many hikers who unwisely ventured inside. Frankly, a group of hard partying American tourists is probably lucky to encounter the mythical Chupacadra instead in Alastair Orr’s Indigenous, which releases today on VOD.

Scott Williams and his hot new girlfriend Steph Logan are meeting up with his three hedonistic friends for some fun in the Panamanian sun. Trevor, the really annoying one, starts putting the moves on local bombshell Carmen, who thinks it would be great fun to check out the waterfall she used to enjoy swimming under, until the government declared the Darien Gap off limits. Her ambiguously platonic friend Julio makes her promise not to take the gringos there, but she does anyway. Chupacabra attacks ensue.

There is no point in beating around the bush. Indigenous is basically a cornball monster movie, but it is exactly the sort of half disreputable creature feature serious cult film connoisseurs periodically crave. It starts out promising, with a lot of cutting dialogue and plenty of eye candy (from both the bikini babes and surfer dudes). According to the press notes, Laura Penuela, who plays Carmen, was anointed “Best Body” in the 2009 Miss Colombia pageant, so obviously she was cast for her guitar-playing talent.

The problem is when the Chupacadra attacks, the film is so dark in a visual sense, it is almost impossible to follow the on-screen action. Granted, horror movies are usually scarier when you can’t see the evil antagonist, but in this case we are supposed to, but we still can’t. The character of Julio also becomes laughable ineffectual, as he spends most of the second half driving around aimlessly, while leaving pointless voice messages for assorted characters.

From "Indigenous."
From “Indigenous.”

However, the creature make-up is pretty good, at least when we get to see it. As for the ensemble led by the bland Zachary Soetenga and recognizable TV regular Lindsey McKeon (One Tree Hill, Supernatural), they are certainly all quite fit. Several also have a knack for snarky attitude, which is more than you might expect.

Indigenous is a mediocre film at best, but if that is perversely attractive to you, then definitely have at it, as long as we all understand where we are coming from. This is just the sort of teasingly chaste, occasionally gory exploitation film that never goes out of fashion. For those of you who know who you are, Indigenous releases today on VOD.

LFM GRADE: C

Posted on December 8th, 2015 at 8:31am.

LFM Reviews The Fencer @ AFI’s 2015 EU Film Showcase

By Joe Bendel. Upper body strength means little in fencing. It is all about the legs. Lunging and retreating are key to the sport, or as Endel Nelis puts it: “controlling the distance between you and your opponent.” Those instincts have also served him well as a fugitive from Stalin’s secret police. He has come to Haapsalu, Estonia, because the provincial town is the perfect place to lay low. However, his fencing classes attract dangerous attention in Klaus Härö’s biographical drama, The Fencer, Finland’s official foreign language Oscar submission, which screens as part of the AFI’s 2015 EU Film Showcase.

The school principal is the sort of petty apparatchik who resents any form of talent or accomplishment. Naturally, he takes an instinctive dislike to Nelis, the new physical education teacher from sophisticated St. Petersburg (or Leningrad as a Party hack might call it). Nelis has no intention of rocking the boat or standing out in any way. He is working under an assumed name, hoping to avoid capture and exile to Siberia. Against his will, Nelis was pressed into service by the German Army. He managed to avoid combat by deserting into the forest, but he has still been declared an enemy of the people.

FencerNaturally, Nelis is required to voluntarily manage an athletic club, but the principal refuses to allot him any resources. However, when he starts giving fencing lessons with mere switches cut from trees, many students are intrigued. Of course, the principal thinks little of this “feudal” sport, but parental support temporarily ties his hands. While Principal Skinneruu plots against him, Nelis prepares to take a small team to compete in an all-Soviet open invitational.

Based on a real historical figure, The Fencer ought to be catnip for Oscar voters. Like Mr. Holland’s Opus with fencing foils, crossed with The Lives of Others, Härö and screenwriter Anna Heinämaa tells the true story of an initially cold and standoffish teacher, who comes to care about his students as they deal with some pretty extreme challenges, like the arrest and exile of family members. It is not a dramatic conversion, but a subtle evolution of character that Märt Avandi plays with great strength and nuance. He also develops terrific chemistry with Joonas Koff and Liisa Koppel as his two star pupils, both of whom have “missing” fathers.

There are a number of scenes that could have been embarrassingly cheesy and saccharine, but at each potential pitfall, Härö reins in the film, going for a quietly stoic Baltic moment instead. As a result, he truly earns the comparatively sentimental closing. It is also impressive how much attention was given to proper fencing technique. They really are doing it right.

Throughout the film, Härö vividly captures a sense of the late Stalinist era paranoia, as well as the drabness of Soviet life in general. It is also engaging on a human level. These are reserved people, but when they make a connection, it is meaningful. Very highly recommended, especially for Academy members, The Fencer screens this Thursday (12/10) as part of the AFI’s EU Film Showcase.

LFM GRADE: A

Posted on December 7th, 2015 at 12:23pm.

LFM Reviews Trading Germans @ Making Waves: New Romanian Cinema

By Joe Bendel. Romanian Germans have a long and complex history with their homeland that continues to evolve even to this day. Indeed, the fact that Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is a Transylvanian Saxon is quite significant. There used to be many more Saxon, Swabian, Zipser, and Bukovina Germans in Romanian but the 1945 Soviet expulsion of all able bodied ethnic German men took a brutal toll. Those who were left faced a difficult time of during the Communist era, but the Federal Republic of Germany did not abandon them. Răzvan Georgescu reveals the extent and legacy of the secret deal struck by the FRG and Ceauşescu in Trading Germans, which screens during the 2015 edition of Making Waves: New Romanian Cinema.

During the hottest years of the Cold War, West Germany traded hard currency in exchange for the immigration of almost a quarter of a million Romanian Germans. It was a long-term operation, spanning the years of 1968-1989. During throughout that period, Heinz-Günther Hüsch served as the primary German negotiator, even before his election to the Bundestag (as a member of the CDU). He ran an incredibly efficient operation, at least until Helmut Schmidt got involved and re-negotiated less favorable terms for West Germany.

TradingGermansThanks to Hüsch and Romania’s unquenchable demand for hard currency (fueled by Ceauşescu’s corruption), a steady stream of Romanian Germans were allowed to leave the Socialist paradise. Apparently, they assimilated quite well in West Germany, in part because they spoke perfect German. Unlike the rest of the Soviet Bloc, Romania never curtailed their German language fluency and usage. However, they still feel profound sense of separation from their homeland. The Saxons particularly seem to have a deep agrarian connection to their ancestral land—most of which now lies fallow.

Hüsch and his chief Romanian counterpart Stelian Octavian Andronic offer some vivid memories and sly commentary on their extended pow-wows. Yet, some of the best insights regarding the nature of freedom come from Romanian German Karl Hann and Hansi Schmidt (formerly a star player for the Romanian national handball team).

There are some rather misleading descriptions of this film online that make it sound like a human trafficking documentary. As far we can tell from the HBO Europe produced doc, everyone whose passage the FRG purchased wanted to leave, albeit reluctantly. In fact, the Communist authorities often double-collected, charging the immigrants exorbitant passport fees, unbeknownst to Hüsch. Yes, they are sad to be estranged from their homeland, but the regime had already stripped them of their beloved land and their way of life. Frankly, it is a relatively feel-good Cold War story, told with sensitivity and telling details. Highly recommended, Trading Germans screens tomorrow night (12/7) at the Walter Reade, as part of this year’s Making Waves: New Romanian Cinema.

LFM GRADE: A-

Posted on December 7th, 2015 at 12:22pm.

LFM Reviews Hear Me Move @ The 2015 African Diaspora International Film Festival

By Joe Bendel. It is like a South African Step Up film, but its moves combine hip hop dancing and sbujwa. That would be the latest form of South African street dancing, as of about a year ago. It evolved out of pantsula, the relatively old school style that Muzi’s late, disgraced father made his international reputation dancing. Spikiri toured America, but his involvement with drugs killed the legendary dancer shortly after his return. As a result, the high school student promised his domineering mother he would never dance like his father. However, Muzi has his father’s feet and they will not be denied indefinitely in Scottnes L. Smith’s Hear Me Move, which screens during the 2015 African Diaspora International Film Festival in New York.

Muzi knows he is a dancer but he has never joined a crew, out of deference to his mother. As a solo performer, opportunities are limited, but he still has to deal with the challenges that come from being Spikiri’s son. However, his father’s old promoter “Shoes” recognizes his potential, inviting him to join the crew he manages, Sbujwa Nation. This does not sit well with some members, particularly their featured dancer Prince. In fact, Prince will soon leave to form his own upstart crew, Ambition.

HearMeMoveAs Muzi struggles to adapt to the demands of ensemble dancing, Shoes starts to level with him. There is indeed a reason why Prince so resents him. He is the illegitimate son Spikiri never acknowledged. Revelations like that mess with Muzi’s head, but Khanyi helps keep him sort of get grounded. She might even be a potential romantic interest if Muzi can get his act together, but that is going to take a bit of time.

As dance movies go, Fidel Namisi’s screenplay makes Make Your Move and Born to Dance look like they were written by Paddy Chayefsky. Seriously, the business with old man Spikiri is just eye-rollingly melodramatic. However, the dancing is suitably dynamic and often very well framed by Smith, who almost always shows us the entire crew in full frame rather than self-defeating close-ups.

The cast is also appealingly young and energetic, particularly Bontle Modiselle, who makes a credible bid for movie stardom as the down-to-earth Khanyi. Mbuso Kgarebe also has the right sort of dangerous charisma for Prince, but the Nyaniso Dzedze just sort of survives as the excessively angst-ridden Muzi.

There is no denying the attractiveness of Hear Me Move’s cast and routines, but the Sbujwa-hip hop synthesis are not as distinctive as the wildly cool taiko drumming fusions choreographed by the awesome Yako Miyamoto for Make Your Move. Still, it has enough of a local spin to appeal to those who appreciate South African street dancing. Honestly, it is rather fun in a slightly cheesy way. Recommended accordingly for dance movie fans, Hear Me Move screens this Wednesday (12/9) at the Bow Tie Chelsea and Friday (12/11) at the MIST Harlem, as part of the special focus on South African cinema at this year’s ADIFF.

LFM GRADE: B-

Posted on December 7th, 2015 at 12:22pm.

LFM Reviews Let the Music Talk @ The 2015 African Diaspora International Film Festival

From "Let the Music Talk."
From “Let the Music Talk.”

By Joe Bendel. Alex Pascall was sort of the Gil Noble of London. He is widely credited with establishing a voice for Britain’s West Indian community on mainstream radio and television. As one of the founders of the Notting Hill Carnival, he had a clear affinity for music. Pascall surveys the diverse black British musical scene in one of his best known broadcasts when he served as the host of Yvonne Deutschmann’s Let the Music Talk, which screens during the 2015 African Diaspora International Film Festival in New York.

Appropriately, Let starts with what could be considered day one of British calypso history when Lord Kitchener arrived on the HMT Empire Windrush (a British war trophy confiscated from Germany), improvising a performance of “London is the Place for Me” for Pathé News. American audiences might be surprised by the considerable time then afforded to British gospel music, but it clearly provided similar inspiration and fortification for many devout British immigrants. Deutschmann and Pascall also a good deal of spend time with the traditional Masqueraders, the Grenada Shortknee Band, who actually sound better in their rehearsal segment than during their full dress performance.

There are additional performances by the funky soul band The Real Thing, the other chart-topping quartet from Liverpool, representing the Mersey Sound and Eddy Grant, a year before he released his biggest hit, “Electric Avenue.” However, the coolest part of the film is the in-studio interview and performance with Coleridge Goode, the revered free form jazz bassist who played on seminal Joe Harriott and Michael Garrick sessions.

While it clocks in just under an hour (as you would expect of a 1981 BBC one-shot TV doc), it features some wildly groovy, catchy up-tempo performances. It is also impressive how “undated” Let feels, aside from its 1981 production values. It is a significant television music broadcast most Americans have never seen, so any fan of two or three of the assembled genres (reggae, calypso, funk, gospel) should definitely check out Let the Music Talk when it screens this Thursday (12/10) at the Bow Tie Chelsea as part of the special Black British theme program (which also includes the highly entertaining fest favorite The Story of Lover’s Rock) at this year’s ADIFF.

LFM GRADE: B

Posted on December 7th, 2015 at 12:22pm.