LFM Reviews A Heavy Heart @ The 2015 Toronto International Film Festival

By Joe Bendel. New Yorkers have a special awareness of the cruel realities of ALS, because of Lou Gehrig. For example, in pre-bucket-challenge days, the New York ALS chapter launched successful give-$4 drives, in honor of his retired number. Sadly, many champion boxers have also succumbed to the neurological disorder. Herbert Stamm was a serious contender during the dark days of the GDR, but he never raised a belt over his head. He took as many blows as any champ, but his massively bad karma will make matters even worse. Stamm faces a slow but inevitable final count in Thomas Stuber’s A Heavy Heart which screens during the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.

Stamm has always relied on his brawn. Even in his less than golden years, he scrapes by gigging as loan collector and a bouncer. His only hope for the future is Eddy, the talented young fighter he trains. He even feels a bit like a surrogate father to the scrappy up-and-comer. Stamm has an actual genetically-verifiable daughter, but they have not had a relationship for years. He did not necessarily intend to abscond from Sandra’s life. Those prisons tattoos did not happen spontaneously, after all. Stamm was just too embarrassed or too self-absorbed to reconnect. He will soon regret that quite bitterly.

It starts with a simple slip in the shower and a bit of muscle cramping, but it is not long  before he gets the grimly fatal diagnosis. Suddenly, he cannot afford to push away the emotionally needy Marlene, whom he had been transparently using for drunken one night stands. He also dearly wishes to reconcile with Sandra, but her resentment runs deep. Soon, Stamm will only find comradery and respect from his old tattoo artist buddy, but their carousing becomes rather poignant.

So yeah, good times at the movies. Regardless, if you want to see a master class in precisely controlled screen acting, Peter Kurth’s lead performance delivers with quiet power. Kurth, who was rather charming as the down-to-earth but utterly befuddled title character in Schmitke, put considerable weight on his physical frame and his psyche. You can see both slowly disintegrate over the course of the film. It is excellent work that never gets too showy or Streepish. It is Kurth’s film, nearly to the exclusion of all others, but Edin Hasanovic and Udo Kroschwald add real grit and character as Eddy and Bodo the loan shark, respectively.

Stuber occasionally overindulges in unsubtle manipulations, but the gravitas of Kurth’s performance helps muscle the film through such sequences. It is an unusually unsentimental star turn in a film that compulsively discourages false hope. Recommended as a fine vehicle for an actor’s actor, A Heavy Heart screens again today (9/14) and Friday (9/18), as part of this year’s TIFF.

LFM GRADE: B

Posted on September 15th, 2015 at 10:30pm.

LFM Reviews The Man Who Saved the World

By Joe Bendel. We joked about shoddy Soviet technology, but it was no laughing matter to Col. Stanislav Petrov. One night while commanding a Soviet early warning station, the system erroneously reported the launch of five American nuclear missiles. In contradiction of standing policy, Petrov insisted on visual verification before proceeding with his own launch. Danish filmmaker Peter Anthony follows the older and crotchetier Petrov as he starts to receive his global accolades and dramatizes that 1983 Cold War night in The Man Who Saved the World, which opens this Friday in New York.

It is rather eerie how history repeats itself. On the night in question, Petrov’s colleagues were still brazenly justifying the accidental shooting down of KAL flight 007, even though it was an obvious mistake and an international PR disaster. Years later, Russian backed Ukrainian separatists similarly bragged about shooting down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, before realizing their stupidity. In 1983, the incident further heightened the tension for Petrov’s colleagues in the Soviet Air Defense, priming them to expect western retaliation. That is exactly what they assumed was happening, but Petrov was not so sure.

Flashing forward from the dramatic recreations, we see the Petrov of today is rancorous and unsociable. Even though he was profoundly right, the 1983 incident did not lead to his promotion, but rather the contrary. Frankly, he never really had much affinity for the military, but when his wife finally succumbed to her long term illness (perhaps not receiving the fullest possible medical treatment, as the film maybe sort of implies), Petrov became an angry, bitter man. He will be quite the handful for Galina Kalinina, who agrees with some trepidation to serve as Petrov’s translator during his NGO-sponsored tour of America.

Probably nobody ever saved so many by doing so much or so little, depending on how you look at it. Russian actor Sergey Shnyryov viscerally conveys the extreme stress Petrov withstood during the longest twenty minutes of his life. However, the real life Petrov’s oracle of doom act gets a little tiresome. Yes, the 1983 near launch is deeply scary, but it was precipitated by Russian systems failures. However, his warnings of nuclear Armageddon certainly argue against welcoming further nations into the nuclear club, especially those governed by religious extremists with vast fossil fuel deposits and a history of supporting terrorism. Seriously, what rational person would want to see a country like that go nuclear?

Petrov is also a Kevin Costner fan, who conducts himself like a worthy ambassador when Petrov and Kalinina visit him on set. The Colonel also met De Niro, but Mr. Tribeca is predictably monosyllabic in his cameo. However, nobody is more awkward than the desperate-to-be-recognized Matt Damon, whom Petrov does not know from Adam.

The film compellingly recreates the slightly Strangelovian 1983 Soviet war room and Petrov scores some convincing points. Unfortunately, Anthony refused to ask the swords-into-ploughshares Colonel some blindingly obvious questions about Russian military interference in Ukraine and Georgia, or he refused to answer. Either way, the absence of such discussion is embarrassingly conspicuous, to such a point that it actually takes a toll on the film’s credibility. As a result, it only really holds up when directly covering the fateful night of 1983. Feeling inconsistent and incomplete, The Man Who Saved the World truly inspires mixed emotions when it opens this Friday (9/18) in New York, at the Cinema Village.

LFM GRADE: C+

Posted on September 15th, 2015 at 10:30pm.

LFM Reviews Wim Wenders’ A Trick of the Light @ The IFC Center

From "A Trick of the Light."

By Joe Bendel. Moving picture technology has always moved at an accelerated rate, even during its infancy. Max Skladanowsky is a perfect example. His Bioscope was the state of the art in flickering images, until the Lumière Brothers introduced something better—a few weeks later. Wim Wenders and his students from the Munich Academy for Television and Film tell the Skladanowsky family’s story with the sort of hand-cranked technology the Skladanowskys would have used in the hybrid documentary A Trick of the Light, which kicks off its first legit U.S. theatrical engagement this Friday at the IFC Center as part of the ongoing Wim Wenders: Portraits Along the Road retrospective.

When Wenders and his student-crew interview the ninety-one year old Gertrude Skladanowsky, they are talking to motion picture history, but it was her older sister Lucie who really witnessed the Bioscope’s short reign first hand. She was raised by her father Max and his two brothers, Eugen and Emil, whom she adored. Their vaudevillian family is scuffling, but they have high hopes Max’s tinkering will lead to something. When he finally gives Berlin’s leading impresarios a sneak peak, they are impressed enough to book the Skladanowsky Brothers for a grand premiere at their Wintergarten Theater.

The better part of the stylized, herky-jerky dramatic recreations are devoted to the various acts they film and the stressful circumstances surrounding their big night. Yet, the tone is always bittersweet, since we know from the start their Bioscope will soon be rendered obsolete by the Lumières. Still, it seems they remained rather enterprising to judge Gertrude’s reminiscences. Far from a conventional talking head interview, her sequences are “haunted” by the rebellious ghost of Lucie, played by the same young actress, but they cannot upstage the nonagenarian’s sense of humor and history.

From "A Trick of the Light."

In terms of its visuals and atmosphere, Trick is probably Wenders’ most Guy Maddinesque film, especially considering Udo Kier appears as Max Skladanowsky, somewhat playing against his usual creepy type (it would go particularly well with The Forbidden Room, which screens at the upcoming NYFF). He actually anchors the dramatic section rather effectively with his tragic Teutonic dignity and uncharacteristic reserve. In contrast, Otto Kuhnle does plenty of shameless mugging as Uncle Emil, but it is not wholly inappropriate given the context—Mack Sennett surely would have approved.

The passion for cinema shared by Wenders, his collaborators, and his subjects comes through in each frame. There is a sense of wonder in Trick that is quite appealing—even playful. While not silent itself, it still makes the Silent Era much more accessible. The use of old school cameras might be a bit of a gimmick, but it certainly gives the film the right look and feel. Warmly recommended for fans of Wenders and silent movies, A Trick of the Light screens for a week at the IFC Center, starting this Friday (9/18).

LFM GRADE: B+

Posted on September 15th, 2015 at 10:29pm.

LFM Reviews Fathom Events’ The Hive

By Joe Bendel. Frankly, this horny teen counselor would be better off if a slasher-killer were stalking his summer camp. It would give him more time to hook up. Unfortunately, fending off a horde of zombies with a collective conscience will demand his full attention. He understands this only too well because he was once part of the titular Borg-like group-mind of David Yarovesky’s The Hive, which The Nerdist presented this Monday as a special one-night Fathom Event screening, in advance of a later VOD release.

Adam is more notorious than he realizes for being the player of the camp. Katie is pointedly unimpressed with his attempts to impress her, especially when his clumsiness lands them both in the infirmary. However, a little time in close quarters warms her to the idea of a bit of fooling around. In a case of super-bad timing, they are interrupted by the crash of an apparent military aircraft. Foolishly setting out to investigate with Clark and Jess, another camp counseling couple, they find a really bad scene. Let’s just say there is a zombie-acting pilot and puddles of black goo. Of course, they bring that contagion back to camp.

Logically enough, the principle means of spreading the contamination is through projectile vomiting to the face. Before long, all four get tagged, even Adam. Yet, he seems to have somehow snapped out of it, judging from the film’s flashback structure. On the downside, he seems to have lost his memory, at least in a continuous narrative form. He gets flashes of the previous day, as well as bits and pieces that seem to be other people’s experiences.

Arguably, The Hive owes as much Cabin Fever as it does Night of the Living Dead, but Yarovesky and co-writer Will Honley still put an intriguing spin on the viral-mutant doomsday scenario. While completely apolitical, in contrast to Ladd Ehlinger Jr’s sly, under-appreciated, thematically related Hive Mind, the individual versus the collective motifs greatly enrich Yarovesky’s The Hive. Basically, it is like Adam is stuck at a Bernie Sanders rally, except there is slightly more black sludge vomiting, but only just slightly. In fact, the whole mechanism through which he disconnects from the Hive is well thought out and convincing. Still, it must be said, the staticky, rough-cut flash-forwards and backwards get a bit tiresome after a while.

From "The Hive."

Gabriel Basso and Kathryn Prescott are also surprisingly engaging as Adam and Katie. They actually develop legitimately tragic romantic chemistry, which is something you never expect to find in a teen zombie movie. The camp ground set also look totally authentic, as it should. According to the pre-screening infotainment slides, Yarovesk hired the facilities manager of his own childhood summer camp to recreate its look. For the Fathom Events screening, Nerdist also produced half an hour of special supplemental introductory matter, including a report from the Mr. Wizard Nerdist on the swarming behavior of birds and insects that provided some helpful context.

The Hive has plenty of dark humor and slimey grossness, but it also has heart and a bit of brains. That is a full bill, really. Cult film connoisseurs need to catch up with it, so hopefully Nerdist and Fathom will schedule an encore screening before its promised VOD release.

LFM GRADE: B+

Posted on September 15th, 2015 at 10:28pm.

LFM Reviews Crime and Punishment, The 80th Anniversary Edition

By Joe Bendel. Raskolnikov is often translated to mean “schism” or “dissent,” which made Dostoevsky’s celebrated anti-hero a fitting role for Peter Lorre to take on soon after he emigrated from National Socialist Germany. While Lorre had an affinity for the existential literary source novel, the part would also foreshadow the psychopaths and villains that would become his stock-and-trade. Mill Creek Entertainment celebrates the eightieth anniversary of Josef von Sternberg’s Crime and Punishment with a special DVD reissue, on-sale today.

It was eighty years ago when Crime and Punishment first released in theaters, but you probably thought it wasn’t a day over seventy-five. At least eighty is a reasonably round number. Frankly, any excuse to watch a Peter Lorre film is valid and this is a rather interesting one his fans may not be so familiar with.

Roderick (as he is here known) Raskolnikov is indeed a brilliant intellectual, with Nietzschean ideas about crime and morality. He is too perversely proud to accept help from his college friend Dmitri, opting to murder a parasitic pawnbroker instead. In a departure from the novel, he will not be interrupted in the act by the loathsome woman’s sister, but he still loses his superhuman cool, rushing off without most of the crone’s money.

Much to his surprise, Raskolnikov’s guilty conscience immediately troubles him. It only gets worse when an innocent man is arrested for the crime. Nevertheless, he instinctively shifts into defensive mode when the intrepid Inspector Porfiry calls for him, again and again. Ostensibly, the copper seeks Raskolnikov’s consultation as a brash young criminology theorist, but it is clear he suspects the poor garret-dweller. Raskolnikov becomes increasingly isolated and alienated, yet the fallen but still devout Sonya persistently offers him spiritual comfort during some of his darkest hours.

All things considered, the 1935 Crime and Punishment is surprisingly faithful to Dostoevsky, including the various subplots involving Raskolnikov’s sister Antonya. Still, Sternberg reportedly never liked the film due to distinctly un-Russian flavor, references to Siberia notwithstanding. However, the film’s ambiguous setting gives it a timeless universality that was arguably ahead of its time. Lucien Ballard’s black-and-white cinematography is also quite striking at times, especially for its use of shadows and reflections.

From "Crime and Punishment."

Regardless, everyone knows the reason to see C&P is to watch Lorre do his thing. Of course, at the time nobody knew how many twitchy villains he would play. In retrospect, C&P looks like something of a fork-in-the-road film, where his future Joel Cairos and Corman Poe madmen branch off from his Brechtian collaborations. He also happens to be terrific as the increasingly agitated Raskolnikov, particularly in his nifty cat-and-mouse scenes with the under-appreciated Edward Arnold. As Porifry, Arnold looks like Broderick Crawford, but acts like Colombo. The haunting Romanian Tala Birell further contributes to the film’s continental flavor as the exquisitely tragic Antonya.

It is hard to envision the 1930s studio system truly plumbing the existential depths of a tortured Nineteenth Century Russian crypto-anarchist, but thanks to Lorre’s bold performance, Sternberg’s adaptation makes a pretty good go of it. Lorre fans will enjoy it for all the reasons they relish his classic films co-starring opposite Sydney Greenstreet. Affectionately recommended for classic film buffs, Crime and Punishment is now available on DVD as part of Mill Creek Entertainment’s Anniversary series.

LFM GRADE: B+

Posted on September 15th, 2015 at 10:27pm.

LFM Reviews Veteran

By Joe Bendel. Seasoned Detective Seo Do-cheol served as a technical advisor to a TV cop show, but he is not about to go Hollywood. Frankly, he is too undisciplined for any sort of corruption. While he is no end of headaches for his frustrated wife and task force leader, he is the last cop any bad guy would want on his case. A coked-up sadistic corporate heir will learn that the hard way when he messes with a friendly acquaintance of Seo’s (Hell yes, that’s all it takes) in Ryoo Seung-wan’s Veteran, which opens this Friday in New York, after laying a smackdown on this year’s TIFF.

After busting a high-end car theft ring Det. Seo and team leader Oh are poised for national promotion. Of course, the car thieves did not give up without a fight, but that was A-OK with Seo. If he can keep quiet for next month or so, he’ll be moving on up. Unfortunately, he meets the reprehensible Jo Tae-oh at a party for the TV show he basically lent his name to. Watching his abusive behavior towards women rubs the cop the wrong way. When he subsequently learns the truck driver he contracted during the stolen car sting tried to commit suicide at the Sunjin Group, Jo’s perennially under-investigation conglomerate, Seo launches a personal investigation.

Apparently, Bae Cheol-ho and his driver colleagues were fired by a Sunjin holding company for joining a union. Since said union is nowhere to be seen, it is safe to say Bae’s dues were not well spent. Regardless, when Bae crashes the corporate office seeking the wages owed him, Jo humiliates him, forcing him to box the thuggish manager Jeon, who pink-slipped him. Needless to say, the bout does not go well for Bae. In fact, he throws himself down the Sunjin stairwell, ending up in a coma rather than the morgue. Unfortunately, the case is not in Seo’s jurisdiction, but he is not about to let bureaucratic niceties dissuade him. Jo and his chief fixer, VP Choi Dae-ung play hardball, but they keep misunderestimating Seo’s obstinate tenacity.

Despite the somewhat clichéd class warfare themes (seriously, whatever happened to that disappearing union?), Veteran is a rock’em sock’em action film that benefits from its comparatively narrow scope and proletarian sensibility. Seo and Jo just really, really do not like each other. That builds mucho anticipation for their climatic face-off, which pays off nicely.

From "Veteran."

Hwang Jung-min is perfect as the rough-edged, slightly eccentric Seo, taking the maverick cop to a whole new level of unruliness. Yoo Ah-in is just okay as Jo, a standard issue villain whose likes we have often seen before, but Yu Hae-jin is terrific as his calculating right-hand Choi. Oh Dal-su largely keeps the shtick in check as the put-upon team leader, but Jin Kyung (his co-star in the even more awesome Assassination) really makes an impression in her brief but meaningful appearances as Seo’s less-than-amused wife Joo-yeon. Rather inexplicably, Ma Dong-seok (a.k.a. Don Lee) also has a fleeting cameo as a stationary store owner, but he’s still pretty cool.

Although Veteran is not as smart and stylish as Ryoo’s The Berlin File, he still delivers plenty of satisfying action. Its grunginess and contempt for authority are both good things. Recommended for fans of hardnose cop movies, Veteran opens this Friday (9/18) in New York, at the AMC Empire.

LFM GRADE: B+

Posted on September 15th, 2015 at 10:27pm.