Review of "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

New Orleans is one of the most magical and intriguing places in the entire United States. The culture is distinct and rich - especially to someone coming from Nowhere, Midwest. Needless to say, I found Beasts of the Southern Wild unwaveringly entrancing. I will begin by saying that you cannot see this film on an empty stomach, especially if you like Cajun cuisine. There must have been 100 lbs of tasty, meaty shrimp eaten in the film... and this one scene with a prostitute cooking beer battered catfish... oh, yeah. The movie.

Beasts of the Southern Wild
Starring: Quvenzahné Wallis, Dwight Henry
Directed by Benh Zeitlin
My Opinion: Highly recommended.

Taking heavily from the genre of magical realism, this film impressively portrays a child's perspective of impoverished life in a community outside the safely laden levees, an area called The Bathtub. The star of the film is Hush Puppy, a six year old girl, who lives alone with her daddy. Estranged from her maternal ties, Hush Puppy spends some of the movie hugging her mother's basketball jersey and speaking to a stick figure drawing on the wall: rather typical behavior of a motherless child. However, Hush Puppy is anything but ordinary. In fact, she is likely one of the most stoic figures in the history of cinema.

Hush Puppy's daddy raised her tough as tough can be. At first, his behavior towards his daughter seems antagonistic and bordering abusive. But quickly the viewer is made to understand that this father-daughter relationship reflects the conditions in The Bathtub. Hush Puppy's father can't coddle her: he must make a survivor out of her. Even in school, Hush Puppy learns that survival is all that matters. Anything living is meat. Yeah, it's pretty shocking to hear a six year old talking about eating her pets, but Hush Puppy is so unbelievably charming that you can't help but admire her for her strength. Naturally, when her father's ailing condition worsens, it is terrifying for the soon-to-be orphaned Hush Puppy. Yet, her almost mystical courage gives us hope.

Beasts of the Southern Wild isn't trying to make a large political statement, because that's not what Hush Puppy is seeing in her world. The film is a portrait of a very impressive little girl and her home. Now, I'm a huge sucker for an impressive child lead, but I'll be damned if this film didn't deliver that and more.

Review of "Tiny Furniture"

Blind

After officially admitting that I like Lena Dunham's new HBO series Girls, I was excited to see the film that sparked the interest of producer Judd Apatow. Unfortunately, after I saw this film I felt like I went to an obscure but Zagat rated restaurant only to receive had a tepid meal. Yeah, it kinda sucked.

I will start out by saying that the premise is modern and very relatable. Dunham's character Aura is moving back to her New York City home after graduating college with a film degree. She is greeted by her overachieving sister and her preoccupied mother who likes to photograph tiny furniture. Aura gets a job as a day time hostess at a local restaurant, where she does nothing but flirt with the cute sous chef for $11 an hour. As someone who also earned a film degree and became a hostess upon graduating, I was quite pleased about seeing my own desperate and stupid decisions play out on screen. Of course, her story was surprisingly dissimilar. Though normally I'd say that movies that show girls scouring Craigslist in their underwear are boring, apparently so is the alternative plot offered by Dunham.

Tiny Furniture
Starring: Lena Dunham, Laurie Simmons, Grace Dunham
Directed by Lena Dunham
My Opinion: Just listen to some menstrual girl bitching.
You'll save time and money for the same anti-climatic experience.

I found the stasis of the film rather surprising because Aura is at a point in her life where everything is changing. The security of being in school with but a few worries aside from keeping up in classes has just plummeted from beneath her feet, leaving her to float to a post-college home that proves much less welcoming and comfortable as it did in the past. Yes, her friends are still there, but her family is waiting for her to move out. In some ways, Tiny Furniture does a decent job of portraying her struggle and frustration, especially when it involves other people, but the outcome, as I've already said before, is not entertaining nor conclusive.

At first, the film introduces Aura to all types of different circumstances: she meets a semi-famous couch surfing YouTube comedian who ends up staying with her and working at a new job. This is all very charming and complimented by unique dialogue that isn't quite witty but more on the cute side. Nevertheless, her interactions with her friends, family and even with the mysteriously modern white closet in her mother's apartment are intriguing. I found myself excited to witness how all of these new and old relationships will unfold themselves. However, as the film wears on, it becomes little more than Aura still not getting laid by that Nietzschean Cowboy, still flirting with the hot chef, still not really getting along with her family, and still neglecting her friends.

The little conflict that actually exists in the film arises from the friction between Aura and her mother. It's pretty dull until Aura finally snaps under the mild pressure and begins to scream at her mother about the same angsty shit that we all remember screaming at our mothers when we were 15 and wildly hormonal. Unfortunately, it's not the confrontation we've been waiting for and it's a huge letdown for the climax of a rather lifeless dull movie. Furthermore, the filming of this climactic moment is so obnoxiously distancing that I had trouble caring at all. The whole debacle is filmed from far away in one long shot so as to keep us from seeing Aura's facial expressions or that of her family. I don't know what the effect of this was supposed to be, but it left me very frustrated because I didn't feeling anything for this girl whose life was so close to mine. The audience is made a fly on a very boring wall... and I just don't think it really worked.

In the same way that Aura neglects her best college friend by admitting that she can't move in with her anymore only a few days in advance, Lena Dunham neglects the script. The whole story falls through like an unsigned lease. Without the story and dialogue to back it up, what the hell is the point in making a film like this?

Review of "Jeff Who Lives at Home"

Jeff Who Lives at Home chronicles the eventful day of the estranged Jeff, his troubled brother and his lonely mother. Jeff is a stoner, living at home and nearing his thirties. Like many in his situation, he is desperately trying to discover what his place is in the world: he overanalyzes wrong numbers and random happenings, interpreting them as signs from the universe. Eventually, we witness Jeff discover a purpose to his life - one that is part of the greater whole.

Jeff Who Lives at Home
Starring: Jason Segal, Ed Helms, Susan Sarandon
Directed by Jay & Mark Duplass
My Opinion: Eh.

As a whole, the film focuses less on Jeff and his life than I had expected. It should really be called: Jeff Who Lives at Home, His Brother Who Found Out His Emotionally Abandoned Wife is Having an Affair and His Mother Who is Really Very Lonely. Obviously, that wouldn't fit on the poster as well as the actual title does, but at least it would be much more telling of what the film is actually about. While the film begins with Jeff in his gloomy, dissipated status, the purpose that he pursues comes to light in an expectedly altruistic light.  The moral is a conventional, but a truthful one: we are all here for a greater purpose, for each other. Yes, this is a nice and tidy point, but because of it the film begins to lack focus.

Each thread in the story eventually rises and converges, but unlike Jeff's life, they seem to lack a deeper meaning. Furthermore, the film veers away from comedy and maintains a steady dramatic structure that is occasionally tinged by a laugh geared by a member of the talented triad cast. The bottom line is pretty clear. There needs to be more dark humor in this at times morose tale, otherwise it's just plain uncomfortable and boring. I found myself rather apathetic to the characters in the film. In addition to the reprehensible steel drums which cast an obnoxious light in the background throughout the entire film, there was something else that impeded Jeff from being entertaining. There was a lot of potential for this film, mostly due to the cast, but I found myself watching the credits roll with a sigh of relief.

All that being said, the film's opening shot which reveals Jeff speaking his thoughts into a tape recorder while sitting on the toilet is really very clever and a wonderful introduction. I only hope that the rest of the film kept the strange, dark humor that poignantly opened the film. Unfortunately, this welcoming tone vanished quickly, leaving me anxious for Jeff to find himself just so the film would end.

A Review of "Girls"

I've finally seen every episode of HBO's new series Girls. The first couple episodes were very charming and I found myself hooked. As someone who is in a similar situation as the protagonist, Hannah, I felt that the depiction of a struggling writer facing her terrifyingly bleak future was pretty accurate: the way she stuffed her face with a dinner her parents bought her in the shot that opened the series as well as her reasoning behind the illustrations tattooed on her shoulder were such genuine, humanizing depictions of the artist as a young woman. I'll admit it, I was charmed by Lena Dunham's witty creation.

Girls
Starring: Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Adam Driver
Created by Lena Dunham
My Opinion: Sassy and modern,
but in danger of growing stale

However, as the series moved on, the focus shifted from on Hannah's struggle in the job market: something that we can all relate to with the staggering unemployment rate of today. In fact, this important plot point moved from the forefront to backstage. For example, I would find myself bewildered when Hanna was suddenly in an unfamiliar office that I had never witnessed her finding. There was one hilariously disastrous interview that I recall, but that obviously didn't go anywhere. So how did she land the gigs with the touchy-feely old guy and as a barista at some trendy coffee shop? The audience never learns the story of how Hannah obtained two different jobs with no experience. Because Hannah's lack of qualifications for any job is such a fundamental part of her character, these little details cannot be left out; it's an unfortunate missed opportunity and it left me rather disappointed.

Furthermore, the first couple episodes displayed the graphic sex and lack of censorship for which HBO has always been known. However, I began to notice a trend in the intimate scenes. Hannah frequently noted that she came close to having an orgasm but never actually did, Marnie tried to have sex with Charlie only to get him back and stopped half way through and Jessa was seen having sex with a man purely to exert her power over him. Despite the sometimes darker ironic comedy in the show, this pattern revealed something more dismal than the abortion waiting room party- Girls don't have sex for themselves.

While this may be an accurate comment on the lives of some girls, I know for a fact that women enjoy sexual pleasure and to fail to indulge that fact is rather old fashioned. Jessa seems to discuss her sexual escapades enough, but why don't we see it? Furthermore, as the series draws on, most of the sex leaves the screen. I'm not saying I'm disappointed that it didn't turn into a porno, but these are the lives of 20-somethings in New York City- where's the fucking?

At this point in the series, the partying ways of the Girls are the most entertaining. Shoshanna unwittingly hitting a crack pipe was a great plot point and I even like how the events of the party dispelled Jessa's relationship with her boss. That whole episode was well played out, but the series needs to continually hit on the lives of all four of the girls. When it focuses too tightly on one, the show gets a little stale. Or perhaps, when the plot focuses too much on Hannah and her rather dull relationship with Adam, the bad aftertaste deepens.

In conclusion, I see a lot of potential for the remainder of this series and I'm very excited to see where it goes next season. However, I do hope they can perform some upkeep with what was so alluring initially: struggle.

"We Need to Talk About Kevin"

Tilda Swinton stars as Eva in We Need to Talk About Kevin. Eva is the burdened mother of a budding psychopath who struggles with her own social problems and is now cursed with a child who is set on making her life a misery. The film follows Eva's relationship with Kevin, from conception to his development into a young man.

We Need to Talk About Kevin
Starring: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller
Directed by: Lynne Ramsay
My Opinion: A little one dimensional, but decently enjoyable

The film is shot with subdued tones which contrast sharply against the splashes of red paint that Eva finds on her house and car in the film's graphic opening. A surrealistic tone dominates, outcasting any external reality in the film and limiting the audience's perception to that of Eva. Kevin has all the ingredients for a psychological thriller, complete with so-good-that-it's-creepy child acting. Empty, demonic eyes in a toddler refusing to please his mother by uttering the word "mommy" and painfully manipulative dialogue nearly drive us to identify with Eva, even when her frustration slowly lends itself to habits of child abuse. This element makes the film stand out among others of its kind, as it tests the boundaries and terms of a mother's love.

However, We Need to Talk About Kevin lacks the depth and the script that could have pushed the film beyond just creepy. The non-linear story introduces Kevin's mysterious deed that eventually convinces everyone else of what Eva has always known. The pending question "what did Kevin do?" is the driving force for the audience. The entire film leads to this revelation, and frankly, it's pretty disappointing. For starters, it doesn't make any physical sense and whoever decided that this would be Kevin's final act of defiance against his mother sucks at building story. Compensation for the poor twist is rather absent, especially considering the graphic bloodbath that begins the film.

Though promising with its style and dazzling cinematography, We Need to Talk About Kevin is one dimensional and relies far too much on its insufficient story. Not surprisingly, Tilda Swinton's performance stands out as the most impressive element. As a psychological thriller, the film is better than some, but allows for only minimal insight into the struggles of the psycho's mother.

Review of "Moonrise Kingdom"

Wes Anderson never seems to fail. Although each of his films have a similar quirky tone and recurrent cast similar to Tim Burton's films, Anderson's works never seem to reach the tacky status that Burton's have. Moonrise Kingdom, the most recent addition to the Anderson collection, is no exception. Despite a serving of sugar that borders on overdose, the film is artistically crafted and thoroughly pleasurable from beginning to end.

Moonrise Kingdom
Starring: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward and Bruce Willis
Directed by Wes Anderson
My Opinion: Not the star of his filmography,
but definitely good.

The film follows the journey of two troubled twelve year olds who find salvation in each other. Sam is an orphan spending his summer in Troop #55 of the Khaki Scouts. Suzy is the rebellious daughter of well-to-do parents. Her passions include reading and looking through her magical binoculars. The two children become pen pals and decide to run off together. Their journey spawns a romance that reaches levels of maturity that are often absent in films about adult romance, at the same time accurately depicting what it's like to feel tingly with young love in the seventh grade.

As with all of Anderson's films, Moonrise Kingdom is masterfully crafted, complete with a quirky script, picturesque scenery and fluid acting. The most notable performance is Edward Norton as Scout Master Randy Ward. Norton successfully engages the pathetic nature of his character with an alluring and redeemable charm. However, the child acting stood out thin compared to the ensemble cast: awkward moments with way too much squinting and blinking were frequent throughout. Regardless, Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman do not fail to deliver bountiful chemistry. Their love for one another is both sweet and thought-provoking. In his portrayal, Anderson captures the mystery of young love while refraining from provoking an attraction that is disturbing, given the age of the lovers. Rather than concentrating on their minor status, the audience indulge in their honeymoon-like rendezvous and root for their romance as their bond is tested.

Although the love between Sam and Suzy is wonderfully illustrated, I found myself wanting a deeper statement on the complexities of attraction and relationships. The young lovers clash against another relationship that seems to be falling apart (to which a conclusion never seems to be reached), yet rather than exploring the human psyche under the threat of a lost marriage, the conflict becomes moderately cliché. Personally, I was mesmerized by Anderson's portrayal of the human condition in past films such as Life Aquatic and Rushmore. By contrast, Moonrise Kingdom leaves the audience cooing over the precious lovers, but without much insight. Though the film certainly stands on a solid foundation, the innards are fairly basic. Regardless, the film is thoroughly entertaining and charming as always.

Shorts I See

2013

Lewis Vaughn

A colorful experimental premonition.

A little too abstract. Apparently the future holds nothing but a weird acid trip.

Not Recommended

Eyelids

Brad Bischoff

An adorable love note from a boy to a girl.

Incredibly romantic and lovely from beginning to end.

Recommended

Mandrake

Andy Cahill

A woodland creature burrows away with his ceramic collection. Claymation.

Very eerie and yet some how adorable. Reminiscent of Tim Burton's first shorts.

Recommended

Spontaneous Generation

Andy Cahill

Grotesque creatures spawn from nothing. Claymation.

A little disgusting, but it's certainly on purpose. Gooey with a good nature and an appropriate sound track.

Recommended

Trepan Hole

Andy Cahill

Two creatures battle it out in a psychedelic landscape.

Moderately dizzying but the animation is impressive, yet again.

Recommended

Something Happened in There Once

Tommy Heffron

A mysterious psychological glance at memory, myth and dreams.

Successfully spooky short that seems to chronicle the deterioration of sanity with an impressive script.

Recommended

Birds Watching

L.E. Eastman

A day in Chicago through the eyes of pigeons.

Birds-eye view is an interesting topic, and the B.O.V. shots are accented with a fish eye lens. Unfortunately, the film falls short and fails to provide adequate insight into the bird's perception.

Not Recommended

Happy Man's Pants

Kunal Savkur

A gloomy king searches for happiness in the form of pants.

Well acted with quality production. The style and tone is over the top and reminiscent of Bollywood. Funny and appropriate for the whole family, though the title is slightly misleading in that sense.

Recommended