As we enter decade number two of the 21st Century, our cultural landscape is quite different than the one most of us grew up in. There’s plenty of kids under ten who can claim to have written, directed and edited their own movie these days — something almost inconceivable even to folks who just a few years ago thought themselves hip and on the cultural cutting edge. With that in mind, the advent of a new documentary in 2012 doesn’t really command the interest it once did. What subject hasn’t been discussed on camera yet?

At the same time, the influx of all this non-fiction media has made it impossible to ignore the simple fact that nothing is truly objective. History textbooks, award-winning newspapers — they all boil down to someone’s biased, fallible opinion. Michael Moore sort of blew this issue into our faces by pushing the idea of “documentary” to the extreme. There’s no doubt that his docs are basically op-ed pieces, but they also make you realize that so are the wonderful films of Albert Maysles, as much as he poo-poos Mr. Moore’s work. What you leave out of the frame, what you leave out of the edit, it all creates a version of reality rather than reality itself — one that reflects the filmmaker’s view. You can try to be objective and unobtrusive all you want, but you’re doomed to fail, no matter how much you try. In a time when not just the 6′o clock news but even the beloved New York Times are far from examples of journalistic integrity, people are left to figure out what “truth” is for themselves. Enter the internet, happy to provide you with as many articles as you need to back up your preconceived opinion, whether you be a liberal or conservative, and here we are — a world fragmented into a million variations of reality, each custom-made to fit our rarely-changing world-view. We can all sleep snugly knowing that our opinions have the weight of experts behind them, no matter what we believe.

So what does all this have to do with a movie about renewable resources?

“Switch” attempts to tackle an incredibly complicated puzzle and distill it into 100 minutes of entertaining and educational video. It’s an impossible task, but I have to admit, they do as good a job as I’ve ever seen of coming close to hitting that goal. I don’t know that a movie is the best way to learn and understand all these complex issues, but given that most people aren’t going to bother reading a hundred articles of data, “Switch” isn’t a bad second choice. It’s pretty conventional as far as its structure: you have your protagonist in the form of a congenial college professor/energy expert named Scott W. Tinker, who becomes your tour guide through the complicated world of energy resources. You set up your problem early: our current energy system is in trouble. We need a change. You explore the current Big Players: coal, gasoline, natural gas. You look at the alternatives: biofuel, solar power, wind energy, hydroelectricity. You throw in a couple of controversial players: hydrofracking, nuclear power. Mix it all together, give the viewer your conclusion, and then end on a positive “we can beat this!” note. It’s a tried-and-true formula, but it work — and to director Harry Lynch’s credit, “Switch” is incredibly clear in its distillation and deconstruction. Tinker’s narration is logical, understandable. When he interviews experts, he re-states what they just told us in clear ways to make sure we’re not lost. It makes you wish more documentaries were like that. “An Inside Job” is great on some levels, but how many folks could actually recite how the 2008 financial crisis unfolded after seeing that film? It was a lot of information, packed in much too densely, to really absorb. “Switch” manages to avoid this, and it provides a continuing educational resource in the form of its website to boot.

Let’s not forget the best part of the film, which is simply getting an inside look into all of these fascinating sources of energy. Think about everything you do, every day, including reading these very words, and realize that you’d be nowhere without these people and places making it all happen. The filmmakers went all over the globe and spoke to many, many experts who all graciously explained their role in the world of energy. The footage is shot well and intelligently — in short, the production is an A+ effort. Not to mention that this film is about as relevant to your life as a movie can get, even if most people aren’t aware of the energy miracles we’ve managed to create, or the potential energy disasters looming in our near future. Seeing what coal plants do, seeing the inside of some state-of-the-art nuclear power plants, it’s all very enlightening and educational. Sometimes the film falters a bit, as when our experts unconvincingly try to explain why the BP oil spill or the Fukuyama nuclear disaster could never happen at their plant, but these and other minor criticisms don’t overshadow the incredible job the film does at being coherent and complete in its task.

Which brings us back to the idea of objectivity. This energy crisis is completely our doing, a result of shortsighted politics and a desire to live beyond our means — but “Switch” tries very hard to avoid blame and remain unbiased and objective. No one is seen as a villain or a hero, and every solution carries its own set of problems that make it less than ideal. The film presents a future that will be different than today’s, but not better or worse — just different. If you don’t know better, and perhaps many people don’t, you leave the movie with a sense that you’ve just gone through an interesting intellectual exercise and nothing more — that’s the overall tone. But in trying to be so non-alarmist, the film actually ends up distorting the facts about this energy crisis. It makes references to CO2 gases and climate change without ever detailing the disastrous effects some of these possible energy solutions will pose. In fact, the film’s own conclusion is that the actual “tipping point” switch from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources will happen, gradually, in about half a century. I don’t argue with their math, and that prediction makes a lot of sense given how we live currently. But at that rate, pardon my French, we’re all quite fucked. I realize this is not supposed to be a political film, but you can’t get away from politics when you’re talking about this issue, no matter how middle-of-the-road you try to be. The erratic weather, brush fires, and droughts we’ve all been experiencing is just a taste of what is coming down the pike, even if we stopped all oil production today. As “Switch” makes perfectly clear, there’s no way we are stopping oil production today. In fact, even in 50 years, we’ll still be burning coal and gasoline — just not as much of it. The film pretty much ignores the ramifications of all the CO2 that will be released by their projected model. That’s their prerogative, but let’s be clear — they are presenting a point of view, and from my point of view, it’s an incredibly naive one in an age where we can’t afford such ignorance. Follow the logic of “Switch”’s projected conclusion, and daily life is going to get very, very ugly. Funny how nobody mentioned that.

The film ends with a call to action, encouraging the affluent West to start changing its energy tune today — but even here, the prodding is incredibly gentle. “Each of us should do our part — whatever we’re comfortable with,” Tinker tells us. Another expert claims “we’ve made a lot of changes at home without sacrificing our way of life!” That’s the real elephant in the energy room — the fact that Americans are not willing to live differently than they do now, even if it means their own doom. The film knows this, and rather than risking alienating its audience with the facts, it portrays an alternate America where people still live in big houses, have their big tv’s, and basically get to keep all the luxuries they have today — except that they drive to the supermarket in an electric golf cart and use CFL lightbulbs. This is, again, a hopelessly naive vision of the future. The fact is, the amount of energy we consume has to go down a significant amount if we’re going to dig ourselves out of the energy hole we’ve fallen into — and by “significant” I mean living a lifestyle most Americans will never willingly accept. Doing merely “what you are comfortable doing” is not going to be enough in a country where people already think they’re “green” because they recycle every so often. “Switch” does such a good job of showing the insane amounts of energy that we consume every day, it shoots itself in the foot when it tries to argue that everything’s going to be okay if we all pass the hat around and pitch in a couple of bucks. The filmmakers are correct in saying that this is only going to work if we all do our part, but in an attempt to appeal to mainstream America, they soften the blow and lose credibility. I’m sure their counter-argument is that it’s better to make a mostly-honest film people will want to watch than to make a genuinely-honest film that everyone will avoid — and they’re probably right in that sense. Still, when you’re dealing with what can easily be described as the greatest challenge in human history, that’s a pretty lame argument.

As the news media becomes more and more useless, films like “Switch” fill in the need to dissect and understand world issues in thoughtful, well-researched and critical ways. For the most part, “Switch” does a commendable job of that, especially given the gargantuan task it has set before itself. Our world runs on the backbone of a ridiculously complex energy system in which every human being is a player, and guiding us through that maze is a feat “Switch” deserves a lot of credit for. If it’s not a topic that catches your interest, then you haven’t been paying much attention to reality –it’s that simple. The filmmakers are far too polite to ever make that statement, so I’m happy to make it for them: we all need to become experts on this subject, and fast. “Switch” is a great way to start, and gently but firmly reminds you that, ultimately, the sequel to this film is in your hands. Maybe you should ride your bike to the theater and catch “Switch” as fast as you can.

contact: wcurry718@yahoo.com

Switch (USA/Qatar/France/Iceland/Norway/Denmark/India/Canada/Spain 2012)

(Opens in New York City on September 21, 2012.)

Although I’ll admit to having a certain affinity for extreme horror films, I’ll also gladly confess to having limits. And from everything I’d read and heard about Pascal Laugier’s “Martyrs,” I felt pretty confident it would be in the minority of movies that would cross my tolerance threshold. So I consciously decided to skip “Martyrs,” and thus “The Tall Man” is my introduction to the director’s work. As sick and twisted as “Martyrs” may be, it’s impossible for me to believe it wouldn’t have made a better first impression than the director’s latest.

The previous sentence is a diplomatic way of saying that “The Tall Man” will likely go down as my most disappointing viewing experience of 2012…and, truth be told, I only had moderate expectations for this film. Considering Jessica Biel is the star and an executive producer, I correctly assumed any gore in the film would be thoroughly toned down. And not only is it toned down, it’s practically non-existent, and that’s fine, however, Laugier doesn’t demonstrate any proficiency as a storyteller (the clunky pacing makes the movie feel at least a half hour too long). “The Tall Man” aims to be a mysterious, hard-edged thriller, but is virtually toothless.

The aforementioned Ms. Biel plays Julia Denning, the widow of a doctor who lives in a small town in Washington state. Julia now serves as the financially depressed community’s doctor, and in the film’s opening scene we watch her deliver a baby for a young woman. Julia lives in a large, isolated house with her nanny (Eve Harlow) and son (Jakob Davies), and in terms of her surroundings, is clearly a square peg trying to fit into a round hole.

The town has been rocked by the recent abductions of several children in the community. The disappearances are said to be the doings of a person (or a myth) dubbed the Tall Man. You needn’t be clairvoyant to determine that the Tall Man will come calling for Julia’s son, which he does soon enough, but with Julia in hot pursuit, the proceedings take an unexpected turn. This film serves as proof that unpredictability isn’t always a good thing.

As mentioned above, the film attempts to be an edgy thriller, yet what’s problematic is you can count the movies thrills on one hand. And with each passing frame in the movie’s latter half, I found myself exasperatedly hoping that each scene would be its last. The plot’s big twist might work — or at least work better — had it been suitably built up to, but Laugier’s script feels like little more than a series of run-on scenes.

I can’t say I’ve seen many of Jessica Biel’s films, and even after watching this movie I don’t have much of an opinion of the actress. She puts forth an honest effort, but her character is a fairly undeveloped gimmick. Perhaps the most flattering thing I can say is none of the film’s shortcomings are because of her performance. Had Laugier focused more on the characters who make up the small town Kat is seemingly trapped in, the movie could have boasted a genuinely sinister atmosphere. Instead, it practically has no mood to speak of, and the drab cinematography makes it just that much more listless.

It’s admirable that Laugier has branched out from the extreme horror subgenre, but this tepid, somewhat clumsy film makes me wonder if shocking audiences is his exclusive talent. “Martyrs” appears to have the ability to shake up most who encounter it, so even if its value is strictly of the novelty variety, one must admit it accomplishes what it sets out to do well.

On the other hand, with “The Tall Man,” Laugier comes across as someone with the seed of an interesting idea who has little idea how to make it bloom. Given everything I’d heard about “Martyrs,” I would have never guessed the director’s follow up could be so completely pedestrian.

contact: wcurry718@yahoo.com

The Tall Man (USA/Canada/France 2012)

(Image Entertainment. Opens in limited release on August 31, 2012.)

In the same tonal universe as, say, Neil LaBute’s “In the Company of Men,” Craig Zobel’s (”Great World of Sound”) second feature, “Compliance,” is a skillfully crafted, button-pushing movie. Based on a real incident — many of them, actually — “Compliance” is a harrowing examination of human psychology cracking under the influence/pressure of “authority.” This film is strategically designed to evoke a strong reaction from viewers, a goal it should have little trouble achieving.

Set at a fast food restaurant in suburban Ohio, the film begins with Sandra (Ann Dowd), the establishment’s manager, giving her team a brief pep talk/lecture, ordering them to be at their best because an undercover quality control inspector from the franchise may be paying them a visit this evening. A few minutes later, Sandra tries to have a friendly, personal conversation with her assistant manager, Marti (Ashlie Atkinson), and a teenaged register worker named Becky (Dreama Walker), but it’s an awkward attempt that makes her the object of derision. It’s clear Sandra is somewhat uncomfortable making social small talk, and comes across as someone just trying (and failing) to “fit in.”

What’s already shaping up to be a stressful evening for Sandra takes an unexpected turn when she receives a call from an Officer Daniels (Pat Healy), who informs the woman that one of her employees has been accused of stealing money from a customer. He gives Sandra a description of the culprit who happens to match Becky. The officer tells Sandra that a group of officers are on their way to the restaurant, but in order to prevent Becky from being taken to the police station, he asks Sandra to assist in the investigation. He instructs Sandra to detain and search Becky, orders the woman reluctantly carries out, as the procedure becomes more invasive.

Every time Sandra questions the officer’s directions, Daniels convinces her of their necessity, and usually offers encouraging words of praise, thanking the woman for her professional handling of the situation. There are several times when Becky, who adamantly insists she’s innocent, speaks to the officer directly, but she always ultimately gives in to his wishes.

As mentioned in the opening paragraph, this film should evoke a passionate viewer response, however, passionate responses often aren’t the most well balanced ones. My very humble suggestion is to thoroughly consider this film from many angles before rushing to judgment. Having the luxury of observation, of course, will generally lead viewers to different conclusions than they would reach if actually experiencing the situation depicted in the movie.

Not only does Zobel get great, convincing performances from every one of his cast members, regardless of the size of the role, he uses the geography of the primary location in a very effective way. Although Becky spends most of the film in a supply room in the back of the restaurant, it feels as if she may as well be locked away in a Third World prison. On paper, it seems like it should be so easy for the young woman to walk out when the interrogation crosses far past the line of simply uncomfortable, but the way Zobel manipulates the location, it feels almost impossible for her to do so.

This isn’t a film about victimization, because all involved, including Becky, are partly to blame for the predicament getting so out of hand. Other real life incidents such as the Milgram experiment and, to a lesser degree, the Stanford prison experiment come to mind when watching this movie, and on a much larger scale, parallels can be drawn to Nazi Germany. At what point can we, as rational human beings, no longer use “just following orders” as a defense? And at what point do we have a moral obligation to engage in civil disobedience? The film, somewhat confrontationally, asks these questions.

From what I understand, some film festival-goers have questioned the filmmaker’s motives, accusing him of misogyny, but I feel the humiliating treatment Becky is subjected to is handled in a tactful way. “Compliance” is largely unsettling viewing, but I don’t feel as if it’s exploiting its subject matter, although that’s certainly open to debate, which I believe is the film’s intention.

If you can, see this movie with a group of people…and then let the post-screening argument begin.

contact: wcurry718@yahoo.com

Compliance (USA/2012)

(Magnolia Pictures. Opens in New York City on August 17, 2012. Open in limited release on August 24, 2012)

As an avid music fan, I recall when the excellent Seattle reissue record label, Light in the Attic, re-released the two full-length albums by obscure, long-forgotten ’70s singer/songwriter, Rodriguez, in 2008 and 2009. As was the case when the records were first released well over 30 years earlier, the music press showered the recordings with praise. But whereas these records were met with commercial indifference upon their initial release, this time a segment of music fans were ready to appreciate Rodriguez’s music.

However, as we learn in Malik Bendgelloul’s engrossing documentary, “Searching for Sugar Man,” there was already a country where Rodriguez’s music had provided great inspiration to millions. That country was South Africa, and it was here where the socially conscious songs of one Mr. Sixto Rodriguez, made available via bootleg recordings, became the soundtrack for the resistance to Apartheid. The artist himself had no idea of his popularity in this far away land.

To those who were aware of Rodriguez’s music career, it seemed the story only lasted a few years. His first album, “Cold Fact,” was released in 1970; his second, “Coming From Reality,” in 1971, but despite being lauded as a streetwise Bob Dylan, the Detroit-based artist was unable to acquire a fan base. He stopped making music and disappeared from public view, as rumors circulated of his death, the wildest story being that he set himself on fire during a performance.

Two of his biggest fans in South Africa, Stephen “Sugar” Segerman and Craig Bartholomew-Strydom, set out on a mission to uncover as much information about the artist as possible, a difficult task given the paucity of information available at the time. Bendjelloul’s film documents their findings, which turn out to be quite a bit more than anticipated.

Great artists often go unrecognized during their time, and Rodriguez’s striking music was largely ignored in just about every part of the world except one. Evidently, “Cold Fact” went platinum in South Africa, though no one claims to have reaped any financial rewards from the sales. The record label which originally released the album, Sussex, folded in the mid-’70s, and the label’s former owner, Clarence Avant, claims, in a surprisingly confrontational interview, that he never saw any money from album sales.

Though no archival performance footage of the man is seen (probably because it doesn’t exist), his songs are used generously on the soundtrack. Why his music didn’t register with people on a large, or even moderate, scale is a mystery considering its high quality. Given that this is an underdog story about a musician, it has elements reminiscent of “Anvil: The Story of Anvil,” with a twist of mystery sprinkled in. And like that film, your feelings about the subject’s music should have little influence on your opinion of the movie.

As per music documentary standards, there are plenty of talking heads interviews with people such as the aforementioned South African fans, Avant, the men who produced Rodriguez’s albums, family members, co-workers, etc. Bendgelloul even uses brief animated sequences to add a playful atmosphere to the proceedings. Well paced and at just the right length to make every scene feel vital, this is a top-notch effort all around.

Though the recent reissues of his records greatly increased Rodriguez’s profile, it’d be false to say his fan base grew into considerably a large cult, but the release of this film will certainly add to it. Bendgelloul treats his subject with the respect due someone who created such great art and, by all accounts, led a virtuous life. “Searching for Sugar Man” is a journey well worth taking.

contact: wcurry718@yahoo.com

Searching for Sugar Man (Sweden/UK 2012)

(Sony Pictures Classics. Opens in limited release on July 27, 2012.)

J.R. Sawyers’ “Nerve” has had success playing smaller festivals, and certainly features an intriguing character at its core. “Nerve” was obviously shot on a limited budget, yet that doesn’t stop Sawyers from attempting to make a stylized film despite the modest production values. His efforts result in a mixed bag.

“Nerve” focuses on a 20-something young man named Josh (Tyler Langdon) who suffers from a debilitating social anxiety disorder. His co-worker, Aurora (Laura Alexandra Ramos), recognizes his affliction and asks Josh to be the subject of an experiment for her dissertation with the intention of curing him. As you may have already predicted, the relationship between Josh and Aurora eventually becomes intimate, which is complicated by the fact that Aurora is in the midst of a falling out with her boyfriend.

There are scenes that take place during the early part of the experiment that go from humorous to uncomfortable, especially one in which Josh’s attempt to chat up a woman at a club is thwarted by the noise level. As the experiment continues, Josh invites a group of homeless people to live in his apartment, an idea that understandably doesn’t go over so well with his arrogant roommate, Walt (Peter DiVito).

The film’s best moments are its most esoteric. Despite the serious subject matter, the movie occasionally veers into offbeat comic territory with surprising success. The acting is fairly shaky throughout, most noticeably when Sawyers asks his cast to carry substantial dramatic weight (Ms. Ramos falls especially short in a few scenes), yet the humorous detours provide territory which works better for Langdon’s performance.

There’s an artificiality that permeates the scenes, and what’s largely to blame is the various skewed camera angles Sawyers uses and the distractingly obtrusive lighting. The director is an ambitious visual stylist, but here he lacks the resources to execute his vision…and the judgment to refrain from making such bold choices. The talent that worked on this film, both in front of and behind the camera, are all works-in-progress.

That said, “Nerve” definitely has admirable qualities, particularly in the way it treats its subject matter and protagonist with such sensitivity. The mark of just about any good director is one who truly cares about his/her characters, and Sawyers displays that quality throughout. If he takes that quality and learns to work within his confines, his future films should be well worth watching.

“Nerve” clearly shows that Sawyers has intriguing ideas, and with this experience under his belt, he likely has a much better understanding of how to achieve his filmmaking goals.

contact: wcurry718@yahoo.com

Nerve (US/2011)

(Available on DVD)

If you look closely at the poster which accompanies this review, you’ll see that “Funny Ha Ha” was named one of the top 10 films of the year (that year would be 2003) by three different sources, one of which is this very website you’re currently reading. If I accomplish nothing further as an, ahem, “film critic,” I’ll take great satisfaction in being one of the early champions of Andrew Bujalski’s “Funny Ha Ha,” which is largely known these days as the world’s first mumblecore film.

If you haven’t yet seen the film, rest assured that “Funny Ha Ha” is readily available for your home entertainment consumption. I sing its praises even more below.

The wonderful “Funny Ha Ha” is the type of quirky American indie comedy that used to be a bit more commonplace pre- Quentin Tarantino. The film feels familiar, yet it’s hard to make any definite comparisons. Woody Allen? No, not as paranoid. Jim Jarmusch? Closer, but this film is more talky and operates with a noticeably quicker pace. How about a post-Tarantino filmmaker like Wes Anderson? In the same ballpark, but “Funny Ha Ha” isn’t as polished and seems glad to be that way. Writer/director Andrew Bujalski clearly has his influences, but instead of just merely paying homage to them, he uses this inspiration to create something uniquely his own. “Funny Ha Ha” isn’t the sort of movie you simply “like” — it’s the kind of film that you thoroughly embrace, its scenes repeatedly playing over in your head long after it has ended.

There’s really no plot per se. “Funny Ha Ha” follows the life of 23-year-old Marnie (Kate Dollenmayer), a typically unfocused recent college graduate. She hangs out with friends, who are also making the difficult transition into adulthood, works temp jobs, and spends time by herself. She takes a romantic interest in Alex (Christian Rudder), a member of her social circle, whose “on-the-rebound” status makes him unable to reciprocate Marnie’s feelings. And then there’s Mitchell (played by Bujalski), a young man Marnie meets while temping. Mitchell is the proverbial nerdy “nice guy” and thus Marnie doesn’t quite see him as boyfriend material, although they strike up an awkward friendship.

Bujalski’s camera drops in and captures Marnie’s life in midstream. There’s no traditional set-up, body, or resolution to the script, which lends the film a fabulous atmosphere of freedom. The dialogue, some of which is improvised, possesses a naturally conversational tone that could not hit its intended mark any better. It very much feels like you’re eavesdropping on the conversation next to you.

Kate Dollenmayer is perfectly understated in the lead role. Marnie is the girl I could never get a date with in college, yet also incredibly easy to relate to. In a world where people adopt all sorts of disguises to impress one another, Marnie is that rare person who would find it impossible to be anyone but herself. She thinks out loud while talking, isn’t afraid to show her confusion in certain situations, and genuinely does her best to make sense of the perpetual uncertainty that is immediate post-college life. You want to give her a re-assuring hug to let her know that everything will be okay, until you realize she knew that long before you did.

Much like the main character he has written, Bujalski’s film plays with a complete lack of pretension. The comedy doesn’t derive from any calculated jokes, but the beautiful small moments (rendered so authentically) that the director captures. The dialogue that transpires in a scene where Marnie is about to snack on some crackers and hummus at her friends Rachel (Jennifer L. Schaper) and Dave’s (Myles Paige) place is, so far, the comic highlight of the year for me. As the film displays, people are often most humorous when not especially trying to be.

“Funny Ha Ha” is shot in 16mm in a day and age when a project like this would almost exclusively wind up on digital video. The movie’s visual construction is obviously something that was imagined for film, and it’s refreshing to find a filmmaker who doesn’t feel that formats are freely interchangeable. DV would not have allowed the observational distance that film does, and the mood would have been sacrificed in the process. The extra money spent was well worth it.

“Funny Ha Ha” is a completely unexpected gem — a movie that I was sincerely sad to see end. It doesn’t rely on a gimmick or an attitude, but purely on the exceptional talents of those who made the film. In addition, it reminds me why I found independent cinema so exciting in the first place.

contact: wcurry718@yahoo.com

FUNNY HA HA (2002)

(Available on DVD)

Almost exactly one year after premiering at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, “Polisse,” the new film from writer/director/actor Maïwenn, is receiving a U.S. theatrical release, and it’s one of the more intense films I’ve seen in recent memory. Employing a gritty, documentary-like visual approach, the French-language “Polisse” is a movie bursting at the seams with explosive energy. Occasionally, scenes tend to spiral out of control, but the film’s flaws may actually help you appreciate it more.

Episodic in structure, “Polisse” focuses on a group of police officers who work in Paris’ Child Protection Unit. Their days are filled trying to help children and dealing with adults who’ve been accused of repulsive crimes. Often times, the validity of a child’s accusation is called into question, which just adds to the difficulty of the job as the stressed officers attempt to determine the truth.

The director plays a photographer named Melissa who the government hires to document the CPU’s work. This means she interfaces with all members of the team including hardnosed veterans Nadine (Karin Viard) and Iris (Marina Fois), the obligatory loose cannon Fred (French rapper Joeystarr) and his friend/boss Balloo (Frédéric Pierrot). One commonality the officers share is tumultuous home lives; it seems as if outsiders are incapable of understanding the brutally emotional roller coaster that is life with the CPU and so, by default, co-workers act as family. Predictably, this increases tension at the office.

The film doesn’t possess a traditional narrative; it’s more like a compilation of scenes that clearly depict the profession’s trials and help us get to know the characters. The film isn’t all grim either — we see the ways the officers try to keep a light atmosphere on the job and, in one overly long scene, watch them cut loose at a dance club following a day’s work. However, happiness is a temporary diversion from these characters’ reality.

If the film isn’t exactly held together with story, several individual scenes provide memorable jolts. At the top of the list is a sequence in which a homeless mother brings her son to the CPU office because she doesn’t want him to live on the streets. The child’s reaction to the realization he will be separated from his mother is an unforgettable, tragic moment made all the more powerful as Fred does his best to comfort him.

Maïwenn’s camera gets up close with her actors, making the viewer feel at times as if they are embedded in the unit. The jumpy editing goes hand-in-hand with the camera work, creating an atmosphere that always makes you feel as if you are in the moment. The director allows a few scenes to extend past their expiration point, but even when this is the case, it’s still intriguing to watch the actors play off each other. There’s also a certain redundancy to the combative exchanges between characters, a telegraphed “opposites attract” love story and a not completely earned ending, yet it’s worth repeating, the shortcomings come from a sincere place.

Taking a very in-your-face approach, Maïwenn has made a gripping film that demands your attention and is rough around the edges in all the right ways.

contact: wcurry718@yahoo.com

Polisse (France/2011)

(Sundance Selects. Opens in limited release on May 18, 2012.)

Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s well-regarded 2004 film “Nobody Knows” is the only previous work of the filmmaker’s I’ve seen, and I’ll admit to not having strong feelings about it one way or the other. It struck me as meandering and overly long, though it certainly contains admirable qualities. Like “Nobody Knows,” his new movie, “I Wish” (aka “Kiseki”), also uses children as its protagonists, but is much brighter in tone. I can’t say this film makes as much of an impact on me as it likely intends to, but it features characters you care about and definitely has its heart in the right place.

Real life siblings Koki Maeda and Ohshiro Maeda play brothers Koichi and Ryunosuke, who have lived apart for the past 6 months because of their parents’ divorce. 12-year-old Koichi resides with his mother and her parents in a small town in the southern region of Kyushu island. The younger Ryunosuke lives with his father, a struggling musician, in a city on the northern part of Kyushu. Koichi longs for his family to be reunited.

Koichi learns that a new bullet train line will connect the areas where he and his brother live, and the two boys believe if they make a wish at the moment the northbound and southbound trains pass each other for the first time, it will come true. Of course, traveling to the exact location where the trains will pass is hardly an easy task for such young kids, but with the help of several friends on both sides, Koichi and Ryunosuke are able to set out on a journey they hope will mend their family.

I’ll go out on a pretty strong limb and assert that if “I Wish” was an American studio movie, it would likely revel in the most emotionally obvious (i.e. sappy) territory, but Kore-eda treats the film’s inherent emotionalism in an understated way. The director allows the viewer to develop feelings for these characters organically, instead of bombarding you with scenes of typically cutesy child behavior. The two young main actors, who actually comprise a comedy team in Japan, are so naturally appealing that their behavior doesn’t need to be embellished.

While the tone of the film works well for me, its pacing is haphazard. Whereas “Nobody Knows” at least moves at a consistently deliberate pace, “I Wish” mixes slow and faster scenes, causing it to feel disjointed. The film clocks in at slightly over two hours, which is longer than it needs to be, and some of the movie’s effect is dulled in the process.

That said, “I Wish” is a pleasant film and I appreciate that Kore-eda doesn’t take shortcuts to emotionally connect his audience with his characters. His humanism as an artist is commendable, and though I might prefer some narrative economy to go along with it, it’s clear his movies are connecting with audiences the world over.

contact: wcurry718@yahoo.com

I Wish (Japan/2011)

(Magnolia Films. Opens in New York City and Los Angeles on May 11, 2012.)

Canadian writer/director Philippe Falardeau’s “Monsieur Lazhar” was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film in this year’s Academy Awards, and it’s the type of movie you’d expect to go over well with Oscar voters. While I’ll stop short of describing the film as “feel good” entertainment, it is relatively safe and emotionally obvious, although it has powerful moments. The film shifts back and forth between moving, organic scenes and ones that come across a bit contrived.

If the previous sentence makes “Monsieur Lazhar” sound like a frustrating viewing experience, well, that’s not the case at all. It always helps to have a strong lead performance as an anchor, and single name actor Fellag is exceptional as the title character. He plays an Algerian man who recently relocated to Montreal and steps in to teach a class of middle school children whose previous instructor, a woman named Martine, committed suicide. What makes the tragic event even more harrowing is that a student, Simon (Émilien Néron), found the deceased teacher’s body in her classroom.

Lazhar applies for the job in a peculiar way. He makes an unsolicited visit to the school’s principal (Danielle Proulx) after reading about the incident in the newspaper and offers his services. Lazhar claims to have many years of teaching experience in his native country, and the principal, knowing it will be a tough position to fill, agrees to hire him. In the midst of this extremely difficult situation, Lazhar is also dealing with his own shattering, slowly revealed personal issues and, of course, the cultural transition.

Most affected by the death are Simon and another student named Alice (Sophie Nélissec). Alice, who held her teacher in high regard, blames Simon for the woman’s passing due to his role in an incident that got her in some amount of trouble. Both children struggle to come to grips with their complex emotions in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Based on Evelyne de la Chenelière’s play, perhaps Falardeau’s biggest challenge in adapting the material was making the central child characters come off convincingly. Alice and Simon are obviously dealing with a vast amount of internal confusion, but they occasionally seem to be processing their feelings in an oddly mature way. The obligatory breakdown scene when Simon confronts his guilt about possibly causing the downward spiral that led to his teacher’s death feels staged and too transparent about its intentions.

The film is at its best in its quieter, intimate moments. When Falardeau’s direction focuses more on observation than orchestration, the film finds a natural rhythm and gives the viewer a very fly-on-a-wall perspective. In an understated but instinctive performance, Fellag does a superb job of conveying Lazhar’s compassion for his students, a man driven by an innate desire to do good.

Despite some bumps along the way, the film does reach a satisfying emotional apex, culminating in a powerful final scene that also happens to be free of dialogue. Like many films before it, “Monsieur Lazhar” says a lot when it speaks at a low volume.

contact: wcurry718@yahoo.com

Monsieur Lazhar (Canada/2011)

(Music Box Films. Opens in New York City and Los Angeles on April 13, 2012.)

To begin this review, I’ll proclaim that “Damsels in Distress” is my favorite Whit Stillman film to date (and his first one in 14 years). And here’s where I should also confess that I’m not a fan of his other movies (with the exception of “The Last Days of Disco,” which I haven’t seen), so the use of the word favorite in the previous sentence is entirely relative. Having said that, “Damsels in Distress” has its share of amusing moments and also displays the interesting evolution of actress Greta Gerwig. I can’t guarantee it’s a film I’ll really remember in much detail several months from now, but it’s easy enough to watch.

Stillman’s films are littered with overeducated, highly pretentious people who act little like anyone I’ve ever met or would ever want to meet. What sets “Damsels in Distress” apart from “Metropolitan” and “Barcelona” is that he places the characters in an overtly fictional world, so it’s easy to view this movie’s environment as a kind of alternate reality. However, the script goes off track when it can’t decide on a central character and comes close to unraveling near the end.

Lily (Analeigh Tipton) is a new transfer student at Seven Oaks, a college located somewhere in the northeast. On her first day at the school, three girls approach Lily and offer to take her under their wing. These girls, Violet (Greta Gerwig), Rose (Megalyn Echikunwoke) and Heather (Carrie MacLemore), have made it their mission to help the school’s most depressed and, let’s say, academically challenged students. They run the Seven Oaks’ “suicide center,” where their main forms of therapy are tap dancing and soap for the male student population who apparently have a severe body odor problem.

Lily moves in with the girls, and though she becomes part of their group, she also retains her own individuality. She has an interest in French grad student, Xavier (Hugo Becker), but he has a girlfriend. She also becomes the object of a young businessman named Charlie’s (Adam Brody) affection, but there’s something about him her friends don’t trust. Headstrong Violet remains committed to saving the most vulnerable members of the student population until she discovers her “boyfriend” Frank (Ryan Metcalf) — a frat boy who’s part of the aforementioned academically challenged — doesn’t just have eyes for her.

This development sends Violet into a sad decline, which completely changes the character. The film’s first act leads you to believe it might turn out to be something akin to “Heathers” set in college, with Analeigh Tipton’s Lily being the equivalent of Winona Ryder’s Veronica. Yet that scenario never materializes, and the film gradually becomes cluttered with characters that don’t serve a distinct purpose.

Like Stillman’s earlier films, the dialogue is carefully stylized, or perhaps you could say incredibly self-conscious. In his earlier work, I find this quality supremely irritating, but as noted earlier, it feels like the director is laughing at (not with) his characters much more this time around. Violet’s philosophy of dating beneath oneself to ensure a loyal partner and her dream of starting a new dance craze are character quirks that work far better than it might seem on paper. Growing out of her “Queen of Mumblecore” phase, Greta Gerwig has now tackled a variety of roles and plays Violet with such admirable earnestness. It’s a wholly committed and endearing performance.

In the film’s final 10 or so minutes, I was completely ready for it to end, but that shouldn’t negate the fact that there are several charms along the way. I’m not exactly ready to call myself a Whit Stillman fan yet, but this film certainly makes me less of a detractor.

contact: wcurry718@yahoo.com

Damsels in Distress (USA/2011)

(Sony Pictures Classics. Opens in limited release on April 6, 2012.)