Way late review: Meek’s Cutoff

If Meek’s Cutoff is close at all to portraying the life of those braving the conditions of the Oregon Trail in 1845 then it was incredibly brutal and, at the same time, a little boring to observe. Of course, no one was observing it. That’s what those of us in this century get to do – marvel at the courage of those who brave the barren land on little more than some livestock, fragile wooden wagons, and limited supplies while also wondering how director Kelly Reichardt managed to make even the tensest moments rather mundane.

This drama follows a group of people in the mid-1800’s led by a guide, Stephen Meek (Bruce Greenwood), who gets them off the Oregon Trail. The tension between the conditions, the settlers and their guide is hard to miss. Beautiful scenes of desolate lands fill the screen as these people walk alongside their belongings in relatively small wagons pulled by oxen. In the midst of this struggle are few words and little music or sound other than those generated by nature and the movement of the group. When words are spoken they are often faint or grunted out by Meek, whose beard seems to serve as a sort of force field for clear speech.

Along the way the group finds a Native American who they capture. Meek makes it clear he’s not fond of the idea of having this guy around. He’d just as well finish him off. The leader of the group disagrees and gets the final word. The Native American will help them find their way out of the mess Meek appears to have gotten them into. What seems like a setup for an interesting twist on the journey turns into not much more than some further heated debates between Meek and the others. The debates never happen in order to preach about tolerance nor do they heighten the drama much. Much like everything else in the movie, the debates are what they are. They happen and the group continues on.

I don’t expect a movie that is true to its realistic tone to ever raise the stakes through melodrama. Meek’s Cutoff portrays events as matter of fact and in that way it holds interest, capturing a period of history that feels authentic. Authenticity doesn’t necessarily translate to engaging and that is where the film falls short of fully capturing the story it aims to tell.

[xrr rating=3/5 label=” “]

This post is part of my Way late reviews. Read more reviews here.

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rhNrz2hX_o[/youtube]

Way late review: Candyman: The David Klein Story

Candy is for kids but the candy business is most definitely not. At least that is the impression I was left with after watching Candyman: The David Klein Story.

David Klein is the inventor of Jelly Belly jelly beans. His story is one of the eccentric entrepreneur who makes magic happen only to see the greatest fruits of his labor go to others. You see Klein sold Jelly Belly to his partners after he was strong armed into doing so. Sure, he made millions on the sale but that is a small consolation prize in comparison to the hundreds of millions made off the product ever since. Still, Klein never comes off as bitter in the documentary. He’s a hard worker with a gentle soul. More Woz than Jobs one might say.

Highly charismatic on camera, Klein makes for an interesting subject regardless of the bitter-sweet Jelly Belly story. His life is full of color and surrounded by no shortage of oddball characters. This is where the first and final acts of the movie excel. Those acts are focused on the man more than how that man lost out on many millions of dollars. It is in the middle that the movie loses its bounce as it bogs down on the intricate details of how Klein ended up selling his magic beans for a cow (as his son put it). The story is of great interest but the lack of getting to know these mostly faceless bad guys who swindled the good natured Jelly Belly inventor removes all the drama. There are probably good reasons these men weren’t portrayed in-depth. I’m sure they wouldn’t be thrilled with the prospects of being portrayed as poorly as their actions earned them. Then again, didn’t Billy Mitchell do just that in King of Kong? And didn’t Joyce McKinney open herself up to the same scrutiny in Errol Morris’ most recent doc Tabloid? I guess not everyone wants to be in a movie.

Even though we feel bad for Klein’s predicament with Jelly Belly there is a sense of joy that remains throughout. The man remains hopeful that not everyone is out to pull a fast one on him. Besides, he’s still making all sorts of candy and selling it to this day. It may not be millions of dollars worth but that doesn’t seem to bother the candyman. He keeps on doing what he does best.

[xrr rating=3.5/5 label=” “]

This post is part of my Way late reviews. Read more reviews here.

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3vBoVTsaQ4[/youtube]

Way late review: Let Me In

For those looking for an exciting horror film, Let Me In is almost sure to disappoint. It’s not that there aren’t moments of suspense or gore, but it is a much quieter film. Almost meditative in its telling of the story of a lonely boy who finds solace in a young female vampire.

Some have questioned the need for Let Me In when the Swedish original, Let the Right One In, was a fine film released only two years earlier. I enjoyed the original quite a bit. Both films tell the same story well but I found this US version a more well crafted film overall.

Strange things are going on in Los Alamos, New Mexico. People are getting murdered and the motives aren’t clear. Meanwhile, a twelve year-old boy, Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee), is struggling with a different kind of evil at school in the form of bullies who torment him in some viscous ways. There appears to be no justice in sight for Owen or the people of Los Alamos. Owen is left to fend for himself. His mother, who we see little of, is an almost Charlie Brown teacher like figure. She is there, we don’t see her much, we hear her some but nothing she says really registers.

Owen sits outside in the winter cold and fantasizes about one day getting revenge on his enemies. Much to his surprise, a new neighbor girl, Abby (Chloe Moretz) is sitting behind him, quietly observing Owen. She has no shoes on and doesn’t look the least bit cold. The two have an abrupt first exchange. Eventually they strike up a friendship. Owen observes that Abby is different but doesn’t seem to mind. He craves the attention and care. Along the way Abby gives Owen advice on how to best handle his adversaries at school – hit back harder. He flinches at first and gives reasons why this is easier said than done. Abby doesn’t budge and eventually Owen follows the advice. He strikes back at the main bully with a metal pole and slices the kid’s ear. Thus begins a journey down a dark path for Owen.

Smit-McPhee as Owen and Moretz as Abby do the heavy lifting in regards to the acting, never a small task for young performers. These two do an excellent job of making their individual characters believable and the relationship between the two even more so. They’re the center of attention and there is never a moment where it feels disingenuous or over played.

The killings in the town continue and we discover who is doing the killing. And we also know when a murder or something terrible is about to happen, as the soundtrack blatantly sends its cues without any nuance. It’s not unusual for horror or thrillers to use this technique to heighten suspense but it backfires in the case where it is overused.

Modern day vampire tales seem infatuated with romanticizing the idea of those who live forever off the blood of others but somehow remain good hearted loving beings who just need to find the right mate. Unfortunately, this take on vampires betrays the original lore. Let Me In returns to vampire lore of old and shows evil in all its different forms. The struggle for Owen isn’t so much about finding a friend in the midst of his pain but that of choosing good in the face of evil. One can’t help but feel this theme running throughout the film as it’s set in the 80’s and Ronald Reagan is heard from TVs playing in the background speaking about this very struggle. Whether the evil the former president speaks of was just that is irrelevant. The choices for Owen are cloudy at first but become painfully clear as he learns more about his so-called friend Abby. It is within this struggle that I found Let Me In to be fascinating. The film’s theme is much deeper than it would first appear.

Matt Reeves, the director, leaves a distinct fingerprint on his films. He directed Cloverfield, a movie I enjoyed quite a bit. The camera work there was that of found footage, shaky to the point of nausea inducing, here it is drastically different. Every shot is meticulous. There is heavy use of shooting through or around objects. Looking through a door’s peep hole. Owen spying on his neighbors with the camera taking Owen’s point of view through the telescope. The intense car scenes are made even more so by the shot selection. If Spielberg made a horror film I imagine it would look and feel a lot like Let Me In.

[xrr rating=4.5/5 label=” “]

This post is part of my Way late reviews. Read more reviews here.

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reRRAEVHq8E[/youtube]

Way late review: Warrior

I didn’t really intend on watching Warrior so soon after watching the entire Rocky saga. Netflix has this way of sometimes sending discs in not quite the order you expect. I wasn’t sure that I was ready to watch a movie that was likely so close to the Rocky flicks.

Tom (Tom Hardy) and Brendan (Joel Edgerton) are brothers. We discover early on that their dad (Nick Nolte) was a mean alcoholic and caused much hurt for both brothers. That hurt is nested in some deep rooted anger for the younger brother Tom, who shows up on his dad’s front porch one evening. We learn that Tom has been away for a while and dad has changed a lot. Gone are dad’s days of drinking and abusing those he loves. This revelation only inflames Tom’s anger towards his father. To the youngest sibling, it’s not right that his father gets his act together after the kids are out of the house. Making matters worse is that Tom had to care for and eventually watch his ill mother die as his dad went about his own life as he pleased. Tom won’t hear of any apologies let alone consider offering the forgiveness his dad desires. There is too much pain.

Meanwhile we learn that Brendan has a wife, Tess (Jennifer Morrison), and two kids. He teaches physics at a public school. Both parents work but, due to medical bills piling up as a result of serious health problems one of the daughters had, they’re about to lose their home. Brendan is a proud man who wants to do the right thing. He refuses to consider bankruptcy and instead returns to his former trade as that of a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. He fights in a small event in town with amateurs and walks away with hundreds of dollars for a couple hours of physical labor. When Tess finds out about this she is not happy about the new part-time work. But Brendan is adamant that he needs to do it. They need the money. The next day at school Brendan finds out he needs the money even more because he was being suspended for the semester without pay as the school board considers his future employment.

Tom has a desire to train for MMA. It’s not clear why, but when you’re built like a tank and harbor so much anger it’s not hard to believe that such a guy might want to get in a gym and pulverise everything he can. Stress relief if nothing else. Tom pleads to spar with one of the fighters training with a coach. Turns out this fighter is one of the top ranked MMA middleweights in the country. Tom destroys him and the video of it goes viral.

A 24-hour, 16-man MMA tournament with a $5M purse called Sparta is in the works. Tom wants in and has his pass thanks to his new found fame via YouTube. He gets his dad to train him, but only to train. Turns out the old man was at least good at one thing in his drunken days and that was coaching his sons to wrestle. Tom makes it painfully clear that he does not want anything more from or with his dad – training only. A strange arrangement but one that a father desperate to reconnect with his kids cannot decline. Brendan also begins training but with his old trainer. His intent is not to get back into things professionally but to fight against amateurs he knows he can beat without much personal risk. He learns from his dad that Tom is back in town and that Tom is training for the tournament. Brendan wants nothing to do with his father and tells him as much. He’s not only hurt by the past but he’s hurt that his dad has come to tell him that he’s training his brother. Brendan feels that Tom always the favorite and this only strengthens that argument.

Due to an injury to another fighter, Brendan gets his shot at entering the big tournament. The path is drawn. Tom and Brendan will meet in the cage. And while there are some (fully expected) manipulative moments, the overall story is not one that I can remember seeing in a sports film. There are two guys we’re rooting for. They’re estranged brothers who are still deeply wounded by their father. It makes for a much different dynamic as the movie progresses. Whereas the typical sports movie (say, Rocky) has a clear path to a final bout with a clear underdog we gladly cheer for, Warrior’s is anything but clear, which makes for a more interesting movie.

The acting is solid, though it can feel almost too somber for its own good. At times it feels as though Nick Nolte gave lessons to Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton on how to growl lines rather than speak them.

The back story for Tom is creative but likely takes things a step too far. I won’t spoil anything, but by the end I felt as though there was unnecessary drama introduced that takes a little bit away from the core story.

There are no easy resolutions in Warrior. The anger, the hurt, the desperation for forgiveness and reconciliation are at times overwhelming. Instead of a feel good sports movie we get something different which is satisfying if not exactly uplifting. Overall it’s a nice change of pace from the prototypical sports film.

[xrr rating=4/5 label=” “]

This post is part of my Way late reviews. Read more reviews here.

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54vrgCP5nlc[/youtube]

Way late review: A Little help

The independent dramedy. So full of cliches and quirkiness. And yet, I tend to have a soft spot for them. Enter A Little Help. A small film with some laughs and some tender moments.

Laura (Jenna Fischer) is not having her “best life now” as a famous (ahem) preacher in the states would probably put it. Far from it. She seems immature and desperately looking for something to numb the pain in her life. She drinks beer, lots of beer, when she’s not at work serving as a dental hygienist. Her son Dennis (Daniel Yelsky) and her do not have a close relationship. In their first scene together, Laura picks up Dennis from summer camp. Her conversation screams desperation as she cops the attitude of “I want to be your best buddy” rather than being a mom. Dennis is having none of it. He wants his dad (Chris O’Donnell). The problem is that dad (Bob) has been working late a lot recently and is rarely around for his son or wife.

In order to save face with the family, Laura pleads with Bob to make it to a family BBQ to celebrate her sister’s teenage twins’ birthday. It’s apparent Bob hasn’t made many of these family gatherings and Laura can’t stand the thought of yet another without her husband present. Not that it matters much. Mom is overbearing and sister, Kathy (Brooke Smith), follows in mother’s footsteps.

There are a number of laughs watching these family dynamics take place during a forced gathering. It’s evident that no one wants to be at the birthday celebration, including the twins whose birthday is being celebrated. The acting is solid overall and makes a mostly unlikeable cast of characters at least bearable if not always laugh out loud funny.

Laura and Bob get into a loud argument in the kitchen which leads Laura to run out of the house with Bob in tow. Bob runs down his sister-in-law’s driveway only to fall to the ground clutching his chest. Bob goes to the hospital and the doctor tells him it’s likely a panic attack since this, according to Bob, is the first time this has happened during a physical activity. Later that evening Laura feels bad and tries to make it up to her husband only to have him have another attack and die. Yes, he dies. And, no, that’s not a spoiler.

Life without husband and father changes things for both widow and son. The humor becomes darker as Laura and her son do little to actually come to terms with their grief. In a sense, both were grieving just as much before so not much has changed for them. But the realities sink in for both. The sadness they felt before becomes greater as they realize just how much life is changing, whether they want to deal with it or not.

There is a revelation in the later half of the film that isn’t unbelievable but felt forced. And while the acting overall is solid, most of the characters tend to sway towards indie quirkiness for the sake of laughs. That is forgivable when the laughs come, but harder to accept when the dramedy wants to put emphasis on the drama.

I enjoyed A Little Help for what it is and respect it for not trying hard to be what it is not. It doesn’t make attempts to be a laugh fest nor does it try hard to delve deep into the psyches of its characters, taking itself too serious. The situations and people in them are sometimes funny (albeit in a sad/awkward manner) and sometimes not. Kind of like life can be at times.

[xrr rating=3.5/5 label=” “]

This post is part of my Way late reviews. Read more reviews here.

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4yanZ1v9mY[/youtube]

Way late review: Bill Cunningham New York

Fashion and the industry that revolves around it are not my forte. Therefore it might come as a surprise that I enjoyed Bill Cunningham New York, a documentary that centers on an 80-year-old photographer who captures what people are wearing in New York City. While fashion is Bill’s obsession, the director (Richard Press) obsesses over digging a bit deeper and seeing what makes this man, far past the typical age of retirement, so aggressively pursue his trade.

Much of the doc is spent with Cunningham doing his thing. He pedals his bike around town until he finds a spot he wants to shoot. Then he takes out his trusty 35mm camera and begins to take shots of those on the street wearing things he finds interesting. The end result ends up in The New York Times. In addition to shooting on the street, Bill also attends some of the swankiest parties in town. While paparazzi would likely kill to have his access, Bill is oblivious to the celebrities. His sole focus is on what people are wearing. If it’s interesting, he shoots. If it’s not, he doesn’t bother to pretend he cares one bit. He doesn’t waste the film.

We also learn that Cunningham is a man of principle beyond the ethics of his photography. When moonlighting for Details magazine in its earliest days, Bill refused to take any money for his work. The only thing he demanded was that he get to put out the work he wanted to put out. When Details magazine was sold to the conglomerate Condé Nast, Bill refused even then to take his share in the profits. He argued that by not taking the money for this work he was truly free. No one owns him.

Watching Cunningham work with his NYT art director putting together the collage of photos on the page is entertaining. The give and take between the photographer and the art director is fun. There appears to be no particular rhyme or reason why the page is put together the way it is other than it appeals to Bill’s aesthetics – and the constraints of the printed page. Even those print constraints begin to break as the Times pushes everything online, including a reluctant Cunningham, who records five minutes of audio each week to serve as commentary on his latest published piece.

The admiration for the man and his work is made known through a who’s who line-up of famous and not so famous designers, publishers, celebrities, and the fancy dressers Bill has brought fame to through his pages. Like anyone who is so engulfed in their work, Cunningham has little time to think about the impact he’s had on the industry or those in it. He reluctantly accepts a prestigious award in Paris for his work, but even there he can’t help but take photos of those in attendance to celebrate his award.

One look at Cunningham’s small studio in Carnegie Hall where he lives, or likely just stays long enough to sleep, tells us that Cunningham is not just passionate about his work, he’s obsessive compulsive about it. Barely enough room to walk around the tiny quarters, Bill shows us rows of filing cabinets that hold archives of his work. And he’s been at this for a long time so it’s not an exaggeration to say that there is barely enough room for a tiny cot. And for a man who likes nothing other than to admire and capture what people wear, his own collection of clothing is nearly non-existent. He hangs what little clothing he owns on filing cabinets.

When those who’ve known Bill the longest are asked about his personal life no one has any clues. The man is a mystery to even them. Towards the end of the doc the director does his best to get a fuller portrait of the man he’s been capturing for his film. He asks Bill simple questions about his family, if he’s ever been in love, what role religion plays if any in his life. Bill starts to break down a bit and even cries. Not lost in the tears though, Bill sees the brighter side to life. He confesses that he wouldn’t want to be doing anything different. He contends that his fairly solitary journey through life has afforded him the opportunity to pursue his passion.

Bill Cunningham New York offers a glimpse into the world of a man who does what he does because he loves it. It’s a documentary that does it’s best to dive deeper but realizes that is likely to lead to a very different kind of story, one that misses the passion of Bill Cunningham’s life long work.

[xrr rating=3.5/5 label=” “]

This post is part of my Way late reviews. Read more reviews here.

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYqiLJBXbss[/youtube]

Way late review: Dolphin Tale

No one tell the FBI that schools all around the country are likely violating copyright law by showing flicks to the public for the price of a suggested donation. These thieves are harming Hollywood and must be stopped! I can neither confirm or deny that I saw Dolphin Tale at such an event.

Some might argue that my neutral feelings towards Dolphin Tale came about because I feared the punishment that was surely to come. Or they might argue that the dimly lit picture and faint audio in an auditorium tainted not only my viewing experience but the film as a whole. Even taking all that into consideration, I can confidently say that the (based on a true story) movie about a dolphin that loses its tail and not only lives but gets an artificial replacement tail is not great, nor is it terrible. It’s OK at best. Much to my disappointment, as the first thirty minutes of the movie had me believing it might have some real promise.

Sawyer Nelson (Nathan Gamble), a grade schooler, only has his mom, as his father died serving in the armed forces. He’s very quiet and keeps to himself as a result. One of the young men he looks up to, his cousin (Austin Stowell), has joined the army and is being deployed. To top it all off it’s summer time and Sawyer has to attend school all day.

Sawyer hangs his head and makes the journey to school. He rides his bike past the beach and a man waves him down for help. A dolphin is washed up on the beach. Sawyer gives the man his phone and then attends to the dolphin. The porpoise and boy make some sort of ET and Elliot like connection. I’m loving it. This is right in my wheel house.

The dolphin is taken to a marine life rescue center. Sawyer blasts off after school for the center. He meets a girl, Hazel (Cozi Zuehlsdorff), around his age who shows Sawyer around. It’s not long until Sawyer ditches summer school and spends his days with the dolphin, who has been named Winter. The movie, up until this point, had me hooked. The story of this lonely kid who has a special connection with this tail-less dolphin and spends his every moment with or thinking about his aquatic friend is compelling. Too bad the screenplay decides that’s not enough. We get about a zillion more sub-plots, characters, and made-for-TV moments until it’s all over. The worst part is that all this extraneous material extends the movie to just under two hours. Kids in the theater…errr…auditorium…errr…”place” were wiggling restlessly through the last half hour. I can’t blame them. The movie had worn out its welcome.

Dolphin Tale could have been a really good film. That is what makes it so frustrating. There was talent and a promising first act. The lack of discipline in sticking to the most compelling story and characters doomed the movie. It could never be more than average at best.

[xrr rating=2.5/5 label=” “]

This post is part of my Way late reviews. Read more reviews here.

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6KbB2-q3s0[/youtube]

Way late review: Best Worse Movie

Is it any less bold to claim that you’ve made the worst movie ever or that you’ve made the best? Both are relative claims and hold little validity either way. Troll 2, the focus of the documentary Best Worse Movie, is said to be the worst movie ever. The zero (or near zero) scores on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB add credibility.

Michael Stephenson was one of the child stars in the film and he leads the direction of the documentary. His quest is to dig deeper into the how and why Troll 2 got made and the growing cult status of the film. In order to do all this he seeks out his fellow cast members and director. Stephenson latches onto George Hardy who played the father in the 1990 film. Hardy is a likeable guy from the first moment we meet him. His charisma jumps off the screen. Hardy is a dentist. He had dreams of once becoming a movie star which is the reason he ended up starring in Troll 2. We learn that Hardy has long since given up the acting dream and has replaced it with life as a dentist. He seems to enjoy the work and the people. He even goes out of his way to perform dental work free of charge for children in low income families. While Troll 2 is the theme of the doc, Hardy is its heart and soul.

Best Worse Movie spends quite a bit of time early on reveling in Troll 2’s notoriety. There is no shortage of interviews with rabid fans. Time spent around screenings. It’s as if the first act of the doc is to convince us that Troll 2 is so bad it’s good. The only time these screenings are interesting is when we get to see Troll 2’s director Claudio Fragasso react to the audience. He’s happy people like his film after all these years, but sours when he discovers that they like it because they think it’s terribly funny. Fragasso begs to differ. He knows the film has flaws but doesn’t take kindly to the label of it being the worst ever. One of the more awkward moments comes when Fragasso interrupts a cast Q&A to set the record straight. Walking through the audience, he says the actors don’t remember the facts. He then becomes more aggressive and calls at least one former cast member a bad actor. It plays for laughs from the audience but Fragasso isn’t laughing.

When the doc is at its best it’s focusing on the characters who starred in the film. Their current day lives and relation to the film after 15+ years is engaging and sometimes even simply bizarre. The moments with Fragasso acting out in great denial. Margo Prey, who played the mother opposite of George Hardy, is living in another world. Whether the scenes with Prey are meant for laughs or sadness it’s hard to tell. And then there is Hardy’s pursuit of basking in the fame of being in the worst movie ever. Instead of being embarrassed about it as some other cast members are, Hardy embraces it. He decides there are enough fans of the film out there that he should aggressively pursue opportunities to make appearances. We spend time with him at a number of festivals and events, all of which turn out to be duds. In these moments we get the sense that Hardy has been bitten by the bug of minor celebrity status. A once likeable guy turns into an oddly self-promotional tool, and all under the banner of being in the worst movie of all time.

There are moments in Best Worse Movie that are fantastic. The documentary as a whole never achieves the same success. There is a lack of focus that distracts and often strays into less interesting topics. Too much time is spent patting Troll 2 on the back for how bad it is and the cult like status that achievement has earned the film.

Not even close to the worst documentary ever, Best Worse Movie gives some interesting insights into the people who made Troll 2. Had it stuck more closely to those people, it could have been very good, maybe even great.

[xrr rating=3/5 label=” “]

This post is part of my Way late reviews. Read more reviews here.

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voXQY4E8wfY[/youtube]

Way late review: Margin Call

September 2008. Feels like it’s been about ten years since then yet it’s only been a little over three years. Margin Call does its best to capture a 24-hour period at a fictitious investment bank during that dark economic reality.

From the start the tone is ominous. The soundtrack is dark and menacing. An army of HR consultants marches through the floor of the investment bank. The worker bees are alarmed and rightfully so. More than half of them are going home without jobs to return to tomorrow. One of those hit by the layoff is Eric Dale (Stanley Tucci), a risk analyst who was close to breaking open what we now know was one of the horrible truths behind the financial crisis. Investment banks were leveraged beyond reason but that was OK because the math added up – until it didn’t. As Dale leaves the building with an escort, he hands over a thumb drive to his co-worker, Peter Sullivan (Zachary Quinto). Dale tells Peter to “be careful”. Peter digs into the numbers and starts plugging away. He cracks the code and stares at numbers that show his employer soon losing more money than the firm is worth. the matter is quickly escalated up the food chain. The moments are intense, as the soundtrack never lightens the mood and every character realizes what is at stake, not just for them personally or even as a bank but for the entire US economy, if not world economy.

The cast is stacked. As The Company Men taught me, you can still make a miserable movie with top notch talent. Margin Call doesn’t disappoint. Everyone is on top of their game and no one hams it up, not even Kevin Spacey who plays a sales manager. In fact, this may be one of Kevin Spacey’s best performances in years. Instead of playing the smarmy know-it-all boss, Spacey takes on a multi-dimensional character.

The film is dialogue heavy, not quite at Glengarry Glenn Ross levels though. There are moments where points are being made through conversations between two characters, but never so much so that it feels forced. Writer and director, J.C. Chandor, does a good job of mixing up the scenery, which is a big challenge in a film that revolves around a 24-hour period of time and in a single location. He gives his characters reasons to move beyond the office building and makes good use of that variety.

The tone never changes throughout, for better or worse. It’s a slow burn of a film. Certain characters seem to grow the 24 hour time span while others start a new path in their life that is likely to be filled with regret. The ending is as sad and poignant as one can imagine without resorting to cheap plot twists. Margin Call serves as an admirable tale for our times.

[xrr rating=4.5/5 label=” “]

This post is part of my Way late reviews. Read more reviews here.

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTfUENx6uRs[/youtube]

Way late review: Buck

The way we treat animals can often speak volumes about us. The types of pets we have (or don’t have) can also say a lot about us. The behavior of the pet can often reflect a lot on its owner. If Buck Brannaman’s horses reflect on him then the man is one of the greatest people to walk this planet today.

Buck is a documentary focused on Brannaman, the inspiration for The Horse Whisperer. Buck travels across the country, about forty weeks out of the year, putting on horse training clinics. His demeanour is that of a quiet cowboy who appears to possess magical powers when it comes to training horses. People attend his clinics in hopes that Buck can help them train their horse, even when the owners have all but given up hope on their four legged friend. And train them he does, often both the horse and the owner. Buck doesn’t do this in a belligerent manner. He never chastises anyone. We never see him lose his cool. He calmly but firmly trains the horse and provides words of wisdom to the owners in that same way.

We follow Buck around the country putting on clinic after clinic. Along the way we learn more about this horse whisperer. The chilling truth about his horrific early childhood is slowly revealed. By the end of the film we understand that Buck had learned so much from his early years. He learned the kind of man he didn’t want to become from his father and found the type of man he wanted to become through the love and respect he found in his foster parents. The gentle cowboy we see on screen could have turned out much different.

Listening to the horse whisperer dispense advice as he persuades rambunctious horses to follow his every command is mesmorizing. The doc could do nothing more than focus on his training sessions and it would be a success. The director, Cindy Meehl, digs a bit deeper by revealing the hardships Buck has endured and the journey he’s been on. Possibly the only missing links are that we get a surface level view of his relationship with his wife, who he spends most of each year apart from, and always glowing reviews from his friends. There are interview snippets throughout that sing Buck’s praises or feel great sympathy for his plight early on in life but very little in the way that makes one ever believe that Buck is anything apart from a modern day saint. The picture of the man we’re left with feels void of all its colors. Some might argue this same point about another more recent documentary, Senna. The difference here is that Buck dives into quite a bit of the subject’s life while Senna is created completely from archival footage. Buck could be great. Senna reached its fullest potential given the filmmaker’s own constraints. Regardless, Buck is a very good film.

A nicely shot documentary, which is a refreshing change of pace from the run and gun lo-fi docs that dominate lately, Buck excels at putting together an entertaining and informative look at an incredibly gifted man who not only works miracles with horses but does a pretty amazing job with people too.

[xrr rating=4/5 label=” “]

This post is part of my Way late reviews. Read more reviews here.

[youtube width=”640″ height=”360″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCMm5uoZtXw[/youtube]