November 7th 2015

Clouds of Sils Maria (2014)

"Clouds of Sils Maria" delivers a cinematic exposition of the classic Joni Mitchell lyric, "You don't know what you got 'til it's gone."

The ever radiant Juliette Binoche summons faded star Maria Enders with affecting vulnerability as an actress playing a soul searing role in which neo art is imitating life imitating retro art. Enders wide-ranging emotional relationship with a supportive yet strong-willed twentysomething personal assistant (gamely played by Kristen Stewart...chick can act, people) is, like her popularity on the stage and screen, not destined to survive.

An abrupt abandonment near the end of the film directly colors the final frames of "Clouds". It is then that we witness Enders' theatrical personification of the older half of a destructive female infatuation a full two decades after having skyrocketed to fame as the younger character of the ill-fated pair.

This is a jarring moment of stark realization, providing potent punctuation to a mesmerizing performance. Nevertheless, and much more enduringly, it is a clear and painful point of no return for the performer herself.

October Gale (2014)

Veteran actress Patricia Clarkson comports herself both sturdy and sexy as grieving widow turned shotgun toting bad ass Dr. Helen Matthews in "October Gale". Really.

It is an ill wind a blowin' when Scott Speedman's Character Will drops in most unexpectedly on the good doctor at her remote lakeside cabin with a bullet in his shoulder and a mystery as to how it go there. Stoically honoring her Hippocratic Oath, she saves the unwelcome stranger's life, and then invites him to hit the road, jack. Not gonna happen, as Will's unbecoming past is hot on his trail, and it's sure as shootin' not bearing any compassionate condolences.

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"October Gale" could well have ended with a bang. But what we get instead are subtle yet sweet images of a couple who have just ridden out one helluva storm together.

Not to mention the wicked weather.

Danny Collins (2015)

Al Pacino is an aging, no, he's not either, he is a full blown aged pop rock star struggling to reconnect with a grown son (played with resounding authenticity by the ever-versatile Bobby Cannavale) he left far behind in a drug and booze clouded haze as "Danny Collins".

Pacino is good in this role of a guy in the twilight of his career freshly motivated by an inspirational letter he never got as a young singer/songwriter from the legendary John Lennon. Not sayin' "The Godfather" (I & II), "Serpico" or "The Scent of a Woman" good, but still, pretty damn good. And after all, he's Pacino, man. And is that ever bad?

Perhaps the coolest thing about "DC" is the stunning soundtrack of original Lennon music fittingly featured throughout the film. Usually the licensing fees make it prohibitive to feature any manner of Beatles or solo group members work in any movie production. Which moves one to consider the not so unreasonable notion that Al was helping foot the bill in no small portion for such rare privilege in what amounts to a labor of love on behalf of the Hollywood icon.

Shrink (2009)

"Shrink" is one of those flummoxing films that receives a better effort from a sturdy cast than the material actually merits.

Kevin Spacey performs yeoman's duty as a spaced-out celebrity psychiatrist to the stars battling his own emotional carnage in the wake of devastating family tragedy. But the side stories, which eventually become THE story, never quite manage to gain full resonance.

Perhaps the movie's most apt synopsis lies in these words one character says to another near this most meandering tale's conclusion, "You have your moments."

So does "Shrink". Just not enough of them to make this exercise in exorcising one's personal demons all that momentous.

Jeremiah Johnson (1972)

Robert Redford is an unknown soldier, circa mid-1800's, who transforms into a western American mountain man in legendary Director Sydney Pollack's 1972 classic "Jeremiah Johnson".

While Redford in due course transforms into one of the screen's most prolific hand-to-hand combat bad boys, disposing one by one an onslaught of Crow nation braves bringing malicious intent, that is not really the story here.

Ultimately this is a fable of family. Of three members, drawn inexorably together by escapist isolationism, unspeakable tragedy and submission born of tradition. Then savagely ripped apart. And finally, with ruthlessly relentless purpose of both heart and mind, ferociously avenged.

In the end, we have come to understand with resounding resonance this: That blood, whether it be innate or cultivated, runs thick. Thicker even than the water of the bitter cold rivers running through the magnificent mountains furnishing the backdrop of this most unconventional Old West saga.

Turn Around Jake (2014)

While "Turn Around Jake" is certainly a capably produced Film, and Jarret LeMaster is just fine as the lead, it still wound up lacking for me.

As a Christian, I appreciate projects that explore the meaning and value of faith in our world. But too often, as in this noble effort, the message comes across as stilted, perfunctory and preachy. I always come away thinking that a more realistic and gritty inspection of life, and how God's divine guidance and Jesus' eternal love can help us navigate through it's many challenges, would make a much more powerful impression on both believers and non-believers alike. To portray slimy, money grubbing corporate criminals and not have them utter a single swear word during the entire movie is not what I have in mind.

While I don't recommend turning away from "Turn Around Jake" necessarily, I continue to hope that future Christian cinema will turn toward stories that resonate with more fidelity to most of us who inhabit our Father's vast and glorious earth.

Bluebird (2015)

It was Henry David Thoreau who declared, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” The esteemed Mr. Thoreau never saw "Bluebird". But it would seem as if he somehow sensed that this bleak and dreary drama was coming down the pike. For he absolutely nailed it's essence.

While Director Lance Edmands' film is not altogether a bad one, it's stark exploration of the desolation inherent in a backwoods Maine mill town, and within the dispirited souls of those who dwell in it, is altogether deflating in it's relentlessness. The performances are uniformly quite good, particularly given the overwhelmingly one-note depressing nature of the material. The unusual sight and sounds of a bluebird, and the gathering storm in the mountains toward the story's conclusion, serve to exemplify the fairly obvious metaphors employed in this telling of a catastrophic accident and it's wide ranging aftermath.

The final innocuous scene, and it's corresponding intended message, appears to add emphasis to the movie's driving thrust that this hamlet's citizens are condemned to live the lives of those who came before them.

Edmands makes it abundantly clear to us that this is not a helluva lot to look forward to.

Common (2014)

"Common" is a superb production of BBC Television, uniformly well ensemble acted, powerfully written by Jimmy McGovern and deftly directed by David Blair.

This film explores, and assertively challenges, the UK's frustratingly archaic "joint enterprise doctrine" (also known as the "doctrine of common purpose", hence the movie's title). This ages old legal canon kicks the door wide open for the innocent to be lumped into a group right along with the guilty, then hung out to dry, sharing in whatever manner of punishment the Court deems "just". And this story of a teenage kid who only wanted to grab some pizza with his mates being implicated in a senseless murder committed by an unstable "friend" is just criminal in it's insidious absurdity.

The final moments of "Common" shared between two mothers (strong tour de force performances from both Jodhi May and Diane Lynch) is absolutely heartbreaking. We know that one of these women still harbors expectations for her cherished son's future. The other has had such boundless hopes devastatingly extinguished.

Stellina Blue (2009)

"Stellina Blue" is rather like an After School Special with some fleeting "R" rated moments. That's not to say it's not a sweet and worthwhile little movie. That it is. It's just not what you may be accustomed to seeing in this overwhelmingly "in your face and then blow it straight off your skull" cinematic world of ours. To say the least.

Christina Maura seems to be perfectly cast as the mild mannered free spirit title character who, after taking a bullet during a convenience store robbery, emerges with a gift of helping others in a manner she, and everyone else, is at a complete loss to explain.

In the end there can really be only one conclusion. Miracles happen.

A Most Violent Year (2014)

Man. Whoever knew that the home heating oil racquet could be so damn hazardous to your well being? Certainly not me, nor presumably most of us. But as made abundantly clear in the family crime drama "A Most Violent Year", keeping New Yorkers warm and toasty during the wild west winter of 1981 certainly lived up to this titular billing.

Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain make for a formidable pair as a husband and wife team battling ruthless competition as they fight tooth and nail to grow their beloved business. And through all the strife and threat to life, one doctrine doggedly drives their relentless, bordering on blind, ambition: "Failure is not an option."

Yet in the end, the question remains ominously open; But at what cost?

Beyond the Lights (2014)

Gugu Mbatha-Raw is bountifully beautiful in both body and voice, Nate Parker is saturated in quiet cool and Minnie Driver just oughta be in more movies damn it. Other than that, not much new to see in this Pop Music Stardom spin on the well worn tale of "Be careful what you wish for, for you will surely get it" in "Beyond the Lights".

Still, may it be noted that Mbatha-Raw's character Noni Jean's self-created songs are far superior after her near tragic epiphany as compared to the trashy tripe she was pedaling prior to it. But admittedly, there's my personal preference showing.

The Heart Machine (2014)

An emotionally damaged young woman with serious intimacy issues leads on a guy she met on the internet to believe that they are closer than she's in reality willing to allow. This, while the lass may be much nearer than the thousands of miles away she claims to live. It'll all make sense in "The Heart Machine", a hypnotic inspection of modern love and deception in the digital age.

Still, after all is Skyped and IM'd, Writer/Director Zachary Wigon's little gem ultimately winds up imparting yet another age old tale, albeit captivating, of romantic dreams shattered and hearts ripped to shreds. And all of this despite neither partner ever actually physically touching the body of the other.

Foxcatcher (2014)

While I recall the bizarre real life tragedy upon which "Foxcatcher" is based, I was a little shaky on the particulars. Director Bennett Miller brings it all into captivating focus while sparing no lurid detail in his unforgivingly dark take on desperately dysfunctional families and misguided ambition gone heinously awry.

Steve Carell once again delivers in a dramatic role as deeply disturbed multi-millionaire John du Pont, who lures Olympic wrestling gold medallist Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum, excellent in the role of an ostensible man-child) into his compound to serve as the centerpiece for his self-financed training facility. Their relationship, while left largely vague and ambiguous, is nonetheless clearly a destructively unhealthy one. Add Mark's fellow wrestling champion brother Dave (poignantly portrayed by the ever resilient Mark Ruffalo) into this murky mix, and it becomes something much more sinister.

"Foxcatcher" is certainly no "pick me up". In fact, it will quite likely leave you "pinned to the mat" when the final buzzer concludes this most macabre match.

Whiplash (2014)

At what price greatness? That is the issue at the heart of the world class jazz-infused drama "Whiplash". Best Supporting Oscar Winner J.K. Simmons is raw and ruthless as brutally bitter failed elite musician turned ensemble band conductor Fletcher. Figuratively and literally, he tries to beat the best out of talented yet conflicted young drummer Andrew (Miles Teller, who delivers a physically and emotionally dynamic performance of a lifetime).

The film's stirring ending could have gone one of two ways. Without giving anything away, the point is this: Greatness, true greatness, never quits.

Force Majeure (2014)

"Force Majeure" (literally, "Greater Force") puts me in the mind of 2011's "The Loneliest Planet". Only with a heightened sense of stridence.

These two films collectively deal with the emotional fallout following a pivotal event between loved ones. In "Planet" it was between a young engaged couple trekking on foot through the Caucasus Mountains. In "Force" the setting is a mountain range once again, this time involving a Swedish family of four on holiday at a ski resort in the French Alps. Each story depicts a cataclysmic moment and an individual's reaction to it in the face of impending crisis. What results in each circumstance is an emblematic dagger being plunged deep into the layers of trust heretofore believed to be shared between those they care about most in the world.

The uncomfortable issues and stark introspection dealt with in both of these worthy efforts is decidedly disconcerting and painfully difficult to come to terms with. One likes to think that they know what they would do if someone you cherish is facing imminent peril. Yet, in the end, it may well boil down to the unsettling reality that you never know exactly what you'll do until that moment of reckoning comes.

Most of us likely continue to pray that it never does.

Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013)

Forest Whitaker continues to inhabit yet another memorable character in Lee Daniels' "The Butler". In a quietly powerful title role portrayal, Whitaker is our guide through the remarkable, yet unlikely, "based on actual events" life of Cecil Gaines. Gaines escaped the brutally oppressive life of a 1920's cotton plantation picker in the deep South to become not only a highly regarded servant, but a private confidante, to eight U.S. Presidents.

These Chief Execs are revealed to us warts and all. The way that Gaines came to know them, both through public persona and in privately shared moments. Dwight D. Eisenhower probably emerges looking best, in a soul searching depiction made even more effecting because of the actor who played him, the late, great Robin Williams. Not surprisingly, one would suppose, Richard Nixon's is the worst interpretation, emoted to ominous and tortured extreme by John Cusack. Oprah Winfrey impresses as Gaines's too often neglected and undervalued wife, Gloria. And Jane Fonda delivers a most unexpectedly flattering turn as Nancy Reagan.

The enduring message of "The Butler" lies in the realization that we have made colossal strides as Americans over the decades in advancing racial equality. But the campaign, while unquestionably moved mightily forward, remains an ongoing crusade.

Boyhood (2014)

We all have those life memories that congregate to mold who we will become and ultimately who we are. We preserve them in freeze frame in our mind's eye. We hear them played back again and again as they speak to us from our own internal audio recordings. We smell the scents. Sense the atmospheres. Many of these moments are fondly embraced. Others were endured, all too often painfully, and we try our damndest to move beyond them. Collectively we relive these trials and triumphs, at once forever gone, yet persisting in perpetuity.

This is the universal understanding that Writer/Director Richard Linklater has so vividly and richly mined in his 12-years-in-the-making masterpiece "Boyhood". We witness first-hand the milestone moments, both private and public, big and small, of Mason. Played to unfailingly natural perfection by Ellar Coltrane, "Mace" grows from a young boy into a young adult literally before our very eyes as we are dropped in at progressive points throughout his maturation. Linklater grants us the privilege of sharing in the various benchmarks of Mason's personal coming of age journey. We ride shotgun as his divorced parents, brilliantly brought to life by Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke, give it their respective best they've got as people who, while certainly flawed, are flawless when it comes to powerfully loving their kids (including daughter Samantha, played with an easy going sensibility by Linklater's own child, Lorelei). We come to incontrovertibly understand that this is a mother and father who care deeply, at times with crushing concern, about who their children become.

As "Boyhood" draws to it's conclusion amidst the rugged West Texas grandeur of Big Bend National Park, Linklater articulates the point of it all in a conversation between Mason and a newly befriended girl. And not merely as regards his remarkable film. But of our very purpose in being. These final frames are fitting. In a decidedly delicate manner, they most eloquently punctuate the soul sculpting slice of life scenes we've seen unfold before us. Each of which have united to lead us to this point. And they are destined to linger on in our own life's memories.

Shadow People (2007)

"Shadow People" explores the twisted dynamic of injecting the pain in one's lives into those of others for no purpose other than you don't like them and you want to. Only it doesn't do it very well.

The acting quality is just a tick above that of mediocre Soap Opera. And we are inspired to care nary a wit about any of the four main characters (though Lesli Kay has her moments and is flat-out ferociously fine!).

Best to keep these "Shadow People" in the dark.

Whitewash (2013)

I wasn't quite sure what to expect or what I would find with "Whitewash". What I ended up getting was roundly satisfying.

Thomas Haden Church continues to cruise under the radar as an absurdly gifted character actor in the lead role. This time Church gives us Bruce, an alcoholic snow plow operator who did a bad, bad thing in a northern Canadian blizzard. Bruce is already on shaky ground from a previous work mishap. And the loss of his beloved wife to cancer has sent him in to a tailspin from which it appears he can not steer out of.

We bear witness as Bruce tries to "whitewash" away the guilt and pain he harbors. He willingly secludes himself and his aching heart (along with his plow) deep in the relentlessly punishing and desolate wilderness forest. Bruce has long since forsaken the will to connect with people in the devastating wake of his partner's passing. And this self-inflicted seclusion just serves to complete his cut-off from humanity.

"Whitewash" ultimately delivers the message that prison doesn't always mean banishment to four walls and a cot behind bars. Sometimes, and perhaps even more unforgiving, it is living with the unending anguish confined within our own suffering soul.

When the Game Stands Tall (2014)

Sure it's a little preachy. And kinna corny, to boot. But in the end, the message of the high school football flick "When the Game Stands Tall" resonates. Winning is important. Real important. But when it comes at the exclusion and sacrifice of that which binds us to the ones we love, and who love us, winning really ain't worth a damn.

Oh, and one more thing. While her role as the dutiful yet egregiously taken for granted wife of tunnel visioned schoolboy coaching legend Bob Ladouceur (played with reverent intensity by Jim Caviezel) is touching, Laura Dern's quiet brilliance is vastly underserved here. More of the natural gifts of one of today's true acting treasures is never a bad idea in any movie.

In the Company of Men (1997)

Aaron Eckhart is chilling to the bone as Chad, a calculatingly ruthless murderer infesting "In the Company of Men". But his character's perverse pleasure does not lie in the butchering of the body. Rather, his deeply demented delight is derived from the slaughter of the soul.

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

"Zero Dark Thirty" is remarkable filmmaking unleashed at a relentlessly breakneck pace. Director Kathryn Bigelow's complimentary project to the gritty 2008 American war on terror drama "The Hurt Locker" follows the ten year search for al-Queda kingpin Osama bin Laden in the wake of 9/11. This time Bigelow chronicles the tirelessly dogged efforts of a ferociously tenacious CIA operative (Jessica Chastain) to capture the man who orchestrated the mass murder and destruction of that horrifying September day in 2001.

The thrill of the chase almost makes the scene of "OBL" at long last being found and killed seem strangely almost anti-climactic. In the wake of the fevered intensity that led up to it, Bigelow chooses to present this pivotal event in world history with stark and systematic realism, zero sensationalism. And it is the right call. The troops mentality in that moment is, and had to be, we did our job and we shot him dead. Target nullified.

At first the character, and Chastain herself, does not seem to be substantial enough to handle such a sinister assignment. Yet as the hunt for bin Laden unfolds, we learn that this is a woman completely consumed by her mission. In the end we see that, while the experience has made her stronger, it has also left her to ponder what her purpose is now.

Philomena (2013)

Dame Judi Dench is a treasure. She is magnificent as an elderly woman striving to reconnect with a son she was forced to surrender when he was just a young child in "Philomena".

Steve Coogan did not impress me in the mostly underwhelming "Hamlet 2". However, he has more than redeemed himself as this affecting film's co-star/writer/producer. Dude can act.

And finally, just how many gals of nigh on 80 years would invite as many extreme close-ups as Madame Dench numbers in this flick? One hand's fingers would certainly seem to suffice in terms of the answer. This is what a relatively clean life will earn ya.

Take note, youngsters.

Somewhere (2010)

Stephen Dorff stars as Johnny Marco, a completely self-absorbed, hard drinking, pill-popping, bed-hopping womanizing movie star. His emotionally empty existence is nowhere. He yearns, aches, to go somewhere. Anywhere. And far away from the prison of celebrity that suffocates him day after meaningless day.

Introduce Elle Fanning (in a remarkable and utterly natural performance) as Johnny's gifted and desperate to please 11-year-old daughter, Cleo, and Johnny begins to seriously question what in the hell it is that he is doing with his life. Following a particularly heart wrenching scene with his child on the way to a summer camp, Johnny reaches a crisis point. And the decision he makes as a result is bound to jar you, as it most certainly did me.

As the credits roll over Bryan Ferry's version of "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", we wonder if we have just watched a hopelessly lost soul suffering a long overdue nervous breakdown. Or were we actually bearing witness to the embryonic moments of a man's soul at long last breaking free?

The Swimmer (1968)

Screen icon Burt Lancaster stars as "The Swimmer". Charlie is a middle-aged man we watch dive headlong into a progressively more disturbing nervous breakdown as he strokes his way homeward through the pools of his superficial and status symbolized upper crust neighborhood.

Along the chlorine drenched route we learn that Charlie is not all that great of a guy. In fact, this is a fellow who has crapped on a lot of people over his shallow, self-serving life, including his own family. And in the end, we are left with the starkly unsettling image of a man who, in effect, is left to drown in his own crap.

Alone. And hung out to dry.

Game Change (2012)

"Game Change" is a movie with an agenda. Based on the book of the same name by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, and directed by Jay Roach, the prevailing thrust is that John McCain, and not Barack Obama, would have won the 2008 Presidential election if the Republican nominee for Vice President was virtually anybody other than who it was, Sarah Palin. But is this actually the case? There is a sizable camp of Americans who maintain to this day that McCain got as many votes as he did becausePalin shared the ticket with him. Alas, who can say with any certainty, really?

One thing for sure, Julianne Moore as Palin, Ed Harris as McCain and Woody Harrelson as GOP senior campaign strategist and advisor Steve Schmidt all do yeoman work in portraying their respective real life characters. And while Moore is quite good, as usual, her portrayal of Palin comes off as heavy handed in it's intent to show the then Alaska Governor as an at least partially unstable dullard, diva and religious zealot. You may deem this is as fair enough. I don't see it that way. This established, it need be said, however, that Palin is also depicted as fiercely devoted to her family. In fact, if this film is at least remotely accurate, Palin seems to make every opportunity to have her little boy, Trig (who was born with Down Syndrome), literally in her lap, even as the campaign explodes in heated controversy and chaos all around her.

And though "Game Change" is billed as the story of the riff between McCain and Palin, this dynamic did not come across in any strident manner. To the contrary, Harris gives us a McCain who is consistently supportive and benevolent toward his progressively polarizing VEEP teammate.

As the final seconds tick down on "Game Change", the lingering question of "what if?" clearly continues to haunt those who fought tooth and nail for McCain to set up shop in The White House. But, as the final frame starkly reminds us, you only ever get one shot.

Make it count.

Nebraska (2013)

I suspect...no, I am certain...there are those of you who hate, or will hate, "Nebraska". And that's okay. Because there are plenty of us who LOVE it in turn.

Veteran character acting legend Bruce Dern delivers his finest performance ever. Dern plays Woody, a crusty old drunk whose Quixotic pursuit across the plains of the American Midwest toward a million dollar sweepstakes mirage serves as an allegorical chase after a perpetually illusive dream of a largely lamented lifetime. Accompanied by his son (understatedly played to perfection by Will Forte), this story takes it's time to tell itself, which suits the characters and the landscape just fine, thank you.

June Squibb as Dern's shrill shrew of a wife, Kate, initially comes off as far too strident and vitriolic to the point of overwrought caricature. Rewardingly, however, Kate gives us a moment of sensitive redemption before exiting the narrative. It is touchingly sweet, while, in keeping with her take-no-prisoners personality, not at all saccharine.

The film's Black and White cinematography and front porch folk music soundtrack altogether immerses us in the sensibility of the vast and lonesome prairie. And, lastly, as a native Seattleite, I would be remiss in not mentioning the brilliant and thoughtful Oscar-nominated screen play clearly composed with loving care by former Emerald City television comic writer and performer Bob Nelson. You flat out nailed it with "Nebraska", Bob. And we of Puget Sound Nation could not be more damn proud of ya, brother.

Roadie (2011)

You don't know me (most likely). But this guy Jimmy (Ron Eldard, in a touchingly understated performance) in "Roadie" is me. Not in every aspect of his life, certainly. But in essence.

Jimmy cherishes, and largely lives in, the past. A past, though fraught with it's share of painful memories, also inspires intensely felt emotions of a carefree youth. And much of this joy is generated by a deep, abiding love of an intoxicating (both viscerally and literally) siren sound. It is the powerful, so often times overpowering, beautiful noise of Rock 'n Roll. It permeates not just the atmosphere, but also the soul, with it's rapturous allure.

The only problem is, ya gotta grow up. Or not. Jimmy has decided to pursue a path based on the latter. It is a personal resolution which has perpetuated an adolescent sensibility well into his '40's. And now maturation and responsibility may finally not be just be knocking on his door. They're kicking the son-of-a-bitch down.

In the end, "Roadie" leaves us with the sense that maybe you can go home after all. And loved ones may actually be damn proud of you and what you've done in your life. Even if such sentiment is never expressly spoken.

And, ultimately, we witness touching confirmation that a son always loves his Mother.

Always.

American Hustle (2013)

A cast of "top of their game" actors make doing the "American Hustle" an absolute joy from starting gate to finish line. Two performances stand out in particular. The endlessly remarkable Christian Bale completely inhabits yet another distinctly complex role. And Jeremy Renner gives an affectingly nuanced portrayal of real-life Camden, New Jersey mayor Carmine Polito, who in another film would almost assuredly have been played as little more than a caricature.

As deftly directed by David O. Russell, "American Hustle" is an unrelenting wild and wacky romp through (largely) actual events surrounding the late 1970's ABSCAM FBI sting operation targeting several not-so-altruistic U.S. politicians. A classic case of outrageously weird and damn funny truth being far stranger than fiction. Hey, what do ya expect?

After all, it's politics, people!

Captain Phillips (2013)

Tom Hanks gives arguably (and there are certainly many alternatives from which to choose) his finest performance in the nail-biting thriller "Captain Phillips". Based on the much-publicized 2009 high seas hijacking of a mega-cargo ship by desperate Somali pirates, Hanks plays the real life title character, Richard Phillips, with both depth and dignity. And his spot-on Boston accent only serves to add an extra-effective affectation to an overall riveting portrayal.

While the vessel takeover by, and subsequent chase of, the African raiding crew by the U.S. Navy is an unrelenting edge-of-your-seat experience, it still did not provide the biggest impact for this reviewer. Those moments were reserved for the film's final frames during and following Phillips's breathtaking rescue. Hanks acting in these profoundly emotional scenes is real, raw and deeply stirring. Never a false or unauthentic move. Watching a man who was so strong for so long finally, and inevitably, completely break down makes the movie's ending epilogue that much more astonishing to learn.

Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

Mathew McConaughey impresses in his Academy Award winning role as a 1980's Texas redneck cowboy/electrician whose reckless sex life leads to an HIV diagnosis in "Dallas Buyers Club".

McConaughey does due justice in his portrayal of Ron Woodroof, who after being given a month to live thrives for fully seven years before succumbing. All the while he builds a booming business helping other HIV victims beat the odds with a non-FDA sanctioned regimen of vitamins and "non toxic" alternative remedies. While his performance is certainly praiseworthy, it can be debated that Jared Leto's Best Supporting Actor turn as a transgender drug addict and Woodroof's unlikely partner in commerce may actually be even more impressive.

Rachel Getting Married (2008)

Anne Hathaway registers a more than respectable performance as Kym, a recovering drug addict temporarily released from rehab for her sister Rachel's weekend wedding. "Rachel Getting Married" explores the kind of deep-seeded family animosities and resentments we've seen played out in many films before. Still, the story holds up and the characters ring true for the most part.

The ending provides perhaps this story's most resonant moments. We are left with the sense that a quiet, nearly wordless, understanding has come to pass, particularly between the sisters, whose relationship has been scarred since childhood.

While it is not resolute, it is touching. And it is fitting.

All is Lost (2013)

"All is Lost" is the fascinating tale of one man's desperate fight for survival against an unrelenting and unforgiving sea. Robert Redford is remarkable and riveting in a literal one man tour de force. His character, which we know only as "Our Man", says very few words and never shares a single one of them in dialogue. Ultimately this is a story of holding on to hope when the dire circumstances have long since become hopeless.

In the interest of full disclosure, Redford is this reviewer's all-time favorite actor. I could watch the guy eat food straight from the can and still be entertained. And that is precisely what Redford does in more than one scene in "All is Lost".

His performance is one for the ages in a storied career still building strong on it's legend.

Chasing 3000

You needn't be a baseball fan to appreciate the early 1970's period piece drama "Chasing 3000". Ultimately, this is a story well told about familial love and devotion, both of a mother for her children and among brothers.

However, I submit that if you do not personally recall the legendary Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, as I do, it will be difficult to truly comprehend the reverence with which the man was regarded. It is admiration and respect profound in both it's depth and abidance, and which extended far beyond Clemente's remarkable play on the diamond. As such, the unfamiliar will likely find that it is practically impossible to fathom why these kids do what they do to honor their Hometown Hero, known to his legions of fans as simply "The Great One".

God rest his beautiful soul.

Short Term 12

Brie Larson shines in this indy centering around a California Foster Care center for teens, all of whom have been severely soul-scarred by a really crappy lot in their young lives. John Gallagher, Jr. is also superb as Larson's exceptionally supportive and understanding work and life partner. Even when she makes it damn near impossible to remain such.

The actors who play the kids in the facility are uniformly believable in their roles, with perhaps the most remarkable among them Kaitlyn Dever of TV's "Last Man Standing" (though Rami Malek's achingly raw and deeply moving performance is every bit as powerful). Ms. Dever is definitely a talent to keep an eye on as she builds upon a most promising early career. The at-first begrudging and gradual bond she forges with Larson's character is at once touching as it is born of shared and unspeakable pain, both of the physical and emotional variety.

The fates of these two young ladies (Larson often appears to be no older than her teen charges) leaves us with a sense of hope for their respective futures. Just not quite decisively so.

Sunshine Cleaning (2008)

Just never really got into this one. "Sunshine Cleaning", starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt as crime scene sanitizing sisters, failed to build, nor sustain, enough momentum to fully draw me into the story or invest in the characters.

Primarily billed as a comedy, it's not. There are definitely a handful of scenes where, unless you have a cavity where your heart should be, you're gonna be sniffin' the tears. But these moments come off as "Here now, a touching performance." rather than registering as organic and natural.

It's a tough call, because I like this cast, especially as it features genuine acting treasure Alan Arkin. But in the end, the parts never really quite manage to come together to make this game effort ultimately "clean up".

At Any Price (2012)

I fully expected "At Any Price" to ultimately pay off with a feel good ending. Boy, was I wrong.

Dennis Quaid is the straw that stirs the diabolical drink in this big money farm fable of loyalty, deception and greed. Zac Efron as Quaid's son wants no part of the family Iowa corn business. But cataclysmic events will conspire to change his discordant tune. Nonetheless, Efron's performance is mostly asleep at the wheel as a restless wanna be NASCAR racer.

The endless acres of corn stalks, the giant wind turbines that help nourish them, and the wind that powers these mechanical giants in turn all establish themselves as distinct and important characters throughout this film. And let it be known that the original musical score composed by Dickson Hinchliffe is at once mesmerizing and reallyspooky.

As the movie's final images of celebration, dancing and laughter provide diametric opposition to what we know three of these characters know, you may find yourself sharing the thought that I was struck with. That is this: Mother Earth creates and sustains life. But lest we ever forget; she also takes it back, as well.

Spring Breakers (2012)

If you think that the in yo' face opening images of "Spring Breakers" depict base debauchery, you ain't seen nuthin' 'til you get to the conclusion of this deeply unsettling flick.

While the movie manages to hold interest, and the tragic anti-hero character of Alien is a demented piece of whacked out work to behold by James Franco, here are the words that spring to mind as you watch "Spring Breakers": directionless, desensitized, depraved, soulless and morally dead.

But, hey, cheer up, guys. The four foxy friends are perpetually scantily clad and scorch hotter than the south Florida sun. Yet one is left to ponder how it is that ex-Justin Beiber squeeze Selena Gomez plays a college chick despite looking like she's about 14. Nice touch with the "JB" poster adorning a wall of her character's dorm room in that one scene, however...

Higher Ground (2011)

As a Christian, "Higher Ground" is kind of a tough call for me. While I identified with Corrine (Vera Farmiga in an ambitiously impressive directorial debut, as well) in her lifelong search for faith, both in God and in herself, I came away from this film conflicted.

We see Corrine being indoctrinated into a church cult while still an innocent young girl in the 1960's. We then watch as her extraordinary life unfolds before us, both personally and religiously, through the tumult and the joy, spanning the spirit-searching decade of the 1970's and on into the '80's. We bear witness as she transforms from a subservient female role as commanded of her by the cult, to an emancipated and independent single mother immersed in a quest for self-discovery. As we do so, I couldn't help but feel that had Corrine's road toward her own personal "higher ground", while undoubtedly still rigorous and fraught with challenge, would likely have been one of less disillusionment, discouragement and frustration had it not been born and nurtured of such distorted doctrine.

The sexual themes in "Higher Ground", which are quite frank and explicit, come off as blatantly prurient and inserted primarily for commercial appeal. These scenes register as out of place and really unnecessary to the telling of the story.

This film is clearly a labor of love and devotion for the ultra-talented Farmiga. Her role as Corrine is an exceptionally difficult one to deliver on with credibility and impact. Farmiga more than meets demand with her multi-layered and affecting performance. Her character's testimonial as the movie ends is at once moving, heart wrenching and hopeful. The words pour out from the depths of her soul. And they make it clear that Corrine's journey to reach "higher ground", while it sustains as a driving and passionate yearning, is just beginning.

Stand Up Guys (2012)

Okay. So neither the script nor the movie is all that great. And the three main characters, while each portrayed as "Stand Up Guys", are in reality uniformly reprehensible murderers and career criminals.

This said, it is with pure joy that I marveled at the ever-natural and near-effortless performances of a trio of vaunted veteran actors do what we've come to expect of them. Collectively, the timeless gifts of Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, and, albeit briefly, Alan Arkin, elevate a throwaway film and make it well worth the watch.

Cinema Verite (2011)

"Cinema Verite" is an engrossing inside-out HBO dramatization of the first foray into "Reality Television". The 1973 PBS documentary, "An American Family", intruded into the real lives of the Loud family of Santa Barbara, California.

Diane Lane is superb as the progressively liberated Pat, while Tim Robbins shines as the old fashioned patriarch, Bill, who systematically loses his controlling grip on his wife and kids.

However, unlike the measure of the manipulated pawns on today's tube, we learn that this kinfolk find perpetual anonymity ain't all that bad, in all reality.

This post first appeared on The Quick Flick Critic (***LATEST NEW CONTENT Added To "Documentaries" On 6/6/16***), please read the originial post: here

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