Movie Loner

I’ve always been leery of musicians testing out their acting chops. Being an entertainer or a performer can encompass many areas. Technically, a mime is an entertainer, but I doubt Scorsese or P.T. Anderson is planning on casting one in their next film. Sure, John Malkovich made the transition to puppeteering, but I chalk that up to a one in a million shot. Wink, wink. At any rate, many singers have thrown their hats into the acting ring with mixed results. Mick Jagger and James Brown were laughable. Tupac and Cher were naturals. Everyone from Elvis to Justin Timberlake have been cast in multiple movie roles in hopes of strengthening their star power. Australian singer/songwriter Ben Lee has made one film: The Rage in Placid Lake.

Lee plays the titular character, Placid Lake, an odd youngster prone to abuse from bullies and defying authority. His one friend in the world is Gemma, the genius girl next door. Placid and Gemma are both graduating from high school and unsure of what their futures hold. Placid’s hippie parents prefer their son to carry on the family tradition of non-conformity. Gemma’s protective father wants his brilliant daughter to attend university. Placid has been accused of being fearless, so in order to alter this perception he performs the ultimate act of rebellion by accepting a job at an insurance firm. He has a plan to become a “normal” person. On the fast track to corporate servitude, Placid begins to change for the worse, confusing and angering his parents and Gemma. Will he become another casualty of the system or will he regain his free-spirited nature?

Ben Lee, who never acted before or since, delivers a credible performance in this eccentric comedy. Placid is your typical adolescent searching for direction, but Lee gives the character a jolt of originality. Smart and witty, Placid hides behind his humor and buries his fears deep inside. He presents a false bravado to help cope with the loneliness of feeling out of place in the world. His foray into the insurance game is an attempt to discover where he belongs. Emotionally abandoned by his parents and rejected by Gemma, Placid embraces the camaraderie and security of a suit and tie existence. However, sleeping with the enemy exposes a cold and uncaring life worse than one Placid left behind. Conforming to rules and regulations proves to be a suffocating decision certain to strip him of his uniqueness.

Writer/Director Tony McNamara unleashes a sneak attack on the corporate machine. I would place this film in the same category as Napoleon Dynamite and Juno. All are me-against-the-world stories that rely on off-center lead characters who must find a comfortable niche they can call their own. McNamara doesn’t break any new ground, but he does allow his cast to carry a thin plot to great heights. Miranda Richardson and Garry McDonald stand out portraying Placid’s conflicted parents, and Rose Byrne is sweetly amusing as Gemma. The Rage in Placid Lake is perfect for a rainy day. It won’t change your life, but it will cheer you up.

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In 1993, Writer/Director Victor Nunez made a film called Ruby in Paradise. The movie put a young actress named Ashley Judd on the Hollywood map and resurrected Nunez from his nine year absence from filmmaking. Judd gave a wonderfully nuanced performance in playing a young woman looking to find her way after leaving an abusive relationship. It was one of the first films I can remember with a female protagonist not involving prostitution or gunplay. To see a woman struggling with her own insecurities and attempting to define herself without a man in her life was a revelation for me. Nunez crafted a memorable character to tell a very intimate story. I was reminded of Ruby in Paradise while watching Somersault, a little seen Australian movie with a similar plot.

Fifteen-year old Heidi runs away from home after being caught making a move on her mother’s boyfriend. Without a plan, she hops a bus to the Snowy River ski resort. A brief interlude with a random guy leads nowhere, so she decides to look for a job. She lands a gig at a local convenience store and begins dating a soft-spoken fella named Joe. Making friends proves difficult for Heidi. Her people skills leave something to be desired, as do her capabilities to handle grown-up emotions such as love. Not to be outdone, Joe is struggling with an identity crisis which causes him to rethink his relationship with Heidi. Facing rejection, Heidi resorts to some dangerous behavior that will threaten her future in Snowy River.

Twenty-six year old Writer/Director Cate Shortland made her feature-length debut with this intelligent coming-of-age story. She steers clear of melodrama and instead sticks to a script devoid of cliches. To be honest, I was waiting for a suicide attempt or some type of horrific accident that would have screamed daytime soap opera. Thankfully, Shortland keeps her characters grounded and their actions age appropriate. Sure they do some stupid things, but not in a self-destructive manner. Ultimately, Heidi and Joe are in search of happiness. To achieve maturity one must make mistakes; Shortland reflects this truism in her polished writing. She also keeps her camera close to capture the coy smiles and tears of loneliness.

Abbie Cornish is convincing in her portrayal of Heidi. Her external innocence masks an impending sexual awakening. Watching her clumsily practice her feminine wiles on the opposite sex is very comical. Sam Worthington’s performance as Joe is equally good. The range of emotions he must cover is vast and complex. The typical “boyfriend” character is often underwritten, but Shortland deserves extra praise for allowing Joe to take on a significant role. Shortland has been quiet since Somersault, but her talents are undeniable. Securing funding for independent foreign filmmakers can be an arduous process. Here’s hoping she finds a windfall and gets back behind the camera sooner rather than later.

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I’ve written here before about my affinity for the horror genre. My two favorite frightening flicks from the last ten years are 28 Days Later and Shaun of the Dead. The former dynamically resurrected the zombies taking over the world plot, while the latter parodied the dead rise again theme in biting fashion. Both movies took different approaches to tried-and-true ideas and offered a fresh perspective. I like films that make an effort to be original. It’s not easy to accomplish when you consider just about every story has been told a thousand times over. The Signal combines elements from the above mentioned films and the results are impressive. Creepy, gory, funny and hopeful are all words that adequately describe The Signal, which is more than enough to solidify my recommendation.

Mya is young and married. She’s having an affair with Ben. On New Year’s Eve day, the two awaken with dreams of running off together. They also wake up to the television emitting a strange, blurred picture. Mya returns home to her husband Lewis, who is suspicious of her whereabouts. She covers but Lewis doesn’t seem to buy it. He and his pals are trying to watch a game, but the television signal is still whacked. An angry disagreement ends with Lewis caving in his buddy’s skull with a baseball bat. Mya leaves the apartment; however, her neighbors seem to be killing one another for no apparent reason. She narrowly escapes the building only to find the maddening brutality has poured onto the streets. Fearing for her safety, Ben sets out to find Mya. What ensues is a fight for survival among those who are affected and those who aren’t.

If you enjoy blood and gore, you’ll dig this movie. Humans turning on humans has been done before and better, but The Signal keeps the action flowing with three separate chapters (aka “transmissions”) directed by a trio of filmmakers. The mysterious “signal” preys upon the innate fears and jealousies people struggle with daily. It invades the psyche and triggers violent tendencies. Everyone is susceptible to its affects, but those who have difficulty controlling their emotions make east targets. Lewis’ jealousy becomes magnified to the point that he is transformed into a homicidal maniac. Those, like Ben, who can decipher the signal realize it’s a trick designed to alter humans perceptions of reality. Ben says, “If we change the way we look at things, the things we see will be different.”

Working with a limited budget, the Writer/Director team of David Bruckner, Dan Bush and Jacob Gentry ratchet up the thrills and chills in this capable horror-fest. There are plenty of be-headings and spurting blood to go around and the story is mildly interesting, albeit a tad confusing. Performance wise, AJ Bowen stands out playing the deranged jilted husband, Lewis. The rest of the cast is merely okay given the limited script. Overall, the finished product is better than it probably should have been. Solid special effects and an eerie score keep The Signal from being another run-of-the-mill zombie caper. It’s definitely worth a look.

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I’ve been a Richard Jenkins fan since 1996’s Flirting With Disaster. He played a gay FBI agent in David O. Russell’s oddball comedy, and with assistance from Josh Brolin, stole the movie. The quintessential character actor, Jenkins landed perhaps his meatiest role in HBO’s Six Feet Under, playing the dead patriarch of the Fisher family. It doesn’t seem like Jenkins has trouble finding work; IMDB lists five upcoming films over the next two years. Most movie-goers likely didn’t learn about him until his Best Actor Oscar nomination for The Visitor. His compelling performance isn’t the only reason to see this little seen gem from 2007.

Jenkins plays Professor Walter Vale, a lonely widower teaching at a Connecticut University. Set in his ways, Walter isn’t too fond of venturing outside his comfort zone. This all changes after he’s sent to New York City to present a paper he co-authored. Upon arriving at his seldom used Big Apple apartment, he discovers the place has been rented to an illegal immigrant young couple, Tarek and Zainab. Once the situation is cleared up, Tarek and Zainab pack their bags and bolt. Feeling guilty for giving them the boot, Walter invites them back to stay until they find other arrangements.

Walter and Tarek soon form an unlikely bond, as Tarek teaches Walter to play the drums. The good times come to an abrupt end once Tarek is incarcerated by Immigration and held in a Brooklyn detention center. Tarek’s mother Mouna arrives to help her imprisoned son. Walter takes an immediate liking to her as they attempt to free Tarek before he’s deported to Syria. His romantic feelings for Mouna contrast with his growing rage over the treatment of his friend. Helpless to do anything, Walter must come to terms with the real injustices of life.

Writer/Director Tom McCarthy creates a nuanced story chock-full of real emotion. Walter has been sleepwalking all his days until he comes face-to-face with friendship and love. The suddenness in which life can change is the real lesson here. The paths of McCarthy’s characters are altered significantly throughout the film. His choices for Walter, Tarek and Mouna all ring true as he wisely eschews the standard conventions of Hollywood drama. McCarthy could have gone several different directions with the plot. He chose the one that makes the most sense. It may not include the happy ending audiences seek, but it is the correct conclusion to a very sad, yet enlightening movie.

Jenkins is perfectly cast as Walter. As staid as he appears, it is his willingness and eagerness to broaden his horizons that make him so appealing. Character evolution is vital in personal dramas and Walter’s evolution is one to behold and admire. Haaz Sleiman as Tarek and Hiam Abbass as Mouna provide excellent support. Watching the free-spirited Tarek unravel behind bars is frustrating and uncomfortable. Abbass plays Mouna as a reserved, together woman who will sacrifice herself completely for her son. The unconditional love she displays is incredibly endearing. The Visitor is another exceptional film that eluded audiences two years ago. Make right a wrong and see this powerful story of love and loss.

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Horror movies – for the most part – are unoriginal. It’s not that filmmakers don’t make an effort to put a different spin on the genre, it’s just a chore to invent a new way to tell the same story. This is especially true when it comes to vampire flicks. You can make them young, like Twilight, or ancient, like Interview With the Vampire. You could go old school an repackage Bram Stoker, or new school like the Underworld movies. Making matters worse is the unbelievable popularity of vampire films. It’s great for box office, but challenging for writers searching for a fresh way to sell a bloodsucker script. 30 Days of Night is far from obscure, but it did slip out of theaters sooner than it should have. It stands out from the average vampire tale by taking advantage of a clever premise.

Welcome to Barrow, Alaska. A tiny northern hamlet located on the Arctic Circle. A month of darkness is descending on the town, forcing most of the residents to relocate. Before Sheriff Eben Oleson and his estranged wife Stella can leave, a stranger arrives, warning them someone is coming. As night falls, odd occurrences begin to plague the remaining townspeople. Dogs are killed and the power is cutoff. Someone has indeed arrived. That someone is a clan of blood hungry vampires. Let the feast commence! Eben, Stella and a small group of survivors seek shelter inside the attic of a house. Meanwhile, the remaining folk are slaughtered and eaten by the merciless gang of vamps. After weeks in hiding, the survivors venture outside to gather supplies. The blood suckers eagerly await a fresh meal. What follows is a human versus undead showdown that will leave few standing.

Sure, it’s another Night of the Living Dead clone, but the unique concept keeps things entertaining. Director David Slade doesn’t get cute. The amount of be-headings and gore will satisfy the most critical vampire aficionado. The movie isn’t particularly scary, but it does feature a fair share of suspense. Will anyone get out alive? Can they hold on until the sun rises? The twist ending fits well within the context of the story and seems plausible considering the nature of the genre. The vamps aren’t given much of a personality: they speak in a foreign tongue and their origin is a mystery. Where did they come from? How did they find out about the 30 days of darkness? It doesn’t really matter, but it would have made the story more interesting. As is, it’s your typical “vampires are here to destroy the world” plotline.

Josh Hartnett and Melissa George play the leads. They share some chemistry but not knowing the background of their marital difficulties makes them somewhat unsympathetic. I’d like to care more about them and their plight, but the characters are a little thin. But most of us don’t watch these kinds of films for in-depth characterizations. It’s all about action and blood. 30 Days of Night scores a bulls-eye in those departments. So, if you’ve been craving a good vampire movie with a different spin, 30 Days of Night should quell your longings.

The trailer for 30 Days of Night:

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