Project Nim

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A family of wacky hippies in the 70s decides it's a good idea to move a baby chimp (Nim) into their Upper West-side Brownstone and raise him like a human being, teaching him to communicate through sign language.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Stephanie, Herb, Laura, Bob, and a bunch of other first names they made a point of writing across the screen real big, which I don't remember.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. The pace is fairly slow, then it overcompensates to keep your attention with suspenseful music and intriguing camera pans that imply that something fatal is around the corner. SPOILER ALERT: nothing is.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Yeah, the 70s are funny as shit, no matter how many monkeys got hurt in the process.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It didn't me, because I'm a cold-hearted animal non-worshiper-- by which I mean that I would never put their needs before those of human beings. That said, some pretty messed up things end up happening to this monkey.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It did win the Best Documentary award at the Newport Beach Film Festival, but the Newport Beach Film Festival wins the award for the Closest Film Festival to Los Angeles that No One in Hollywood has Ever Been to.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: One of the best things about this movie is its demonstration of how, in researching this monkey, humans once again prove that they themselves are the stupidest species in the Animal Kingdom.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Similarly to how I felt about James Marsh's previous effort, Man on Wire, there is a constant impending sense of doom, which never leads to doom, and therefore leaves me feeling very... shall we say, "tantric"?

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I'm pretty certain that this is the best story coming out this summer about monkeys acting like humans. I'm talking to you Rise of the the Planet of the Apes! DISCLAIMER: I haven't seen Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The trailer was quite enough for me, thank you very much! Rise of the Planet of the Apes Trailer

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Project Nim Trailer

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The Secret of Their Eyes (el secreto de sus ojos)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After retiring, a lawyer (Ricardo Darin) tries to write a novel about the most harrowing and traumatic case of his life, and in the process opens up all kinds of old wounds and old loves.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ricardo Darin, Soledad Villamil, Pablo Rago, Javier Godino, Guillermo Francella, Jose Luis Gioia, Carla Quevedo

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! This is the kind of well made foreign thriller that some American studio is bound to remake within the next few years, so you can go see the Spanish version, if you're a purist, or you can wait for that inevitable English language remake to come out, if you're a lazy illiterate American.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Well one of the characters is a drunk, so he's got a plethora of wacky ideas about almost everything.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I think it's supposed to make you cry that two lovebirds could go 25 years regretting having lost each other, but I think that most people move on after a maximum of 10. I've been reconnecting with a lot of old friends on Facebook, and let's be honest, after 25 years, you hardly remember anything about a person.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Yes. It will win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, last year. Which makes my prediction here easy, but caused me to lose my Oscar pool last month.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: If only these actors spoke perfect English, I would predict long and strong careers for each of them. But since they live and work in a third world country, I suppose we'll just have to wait until the next time Argentina produces an Academy Award winning film to partake in their talents.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: You don't win an Academy Award for a film that no one has heard of when the directing sucks.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The dialogue is fun, inventive, and full of swear words used as terms of endearment and insults interchangeably. And there are a couple of scenes that will be etched in your mind in that way which usually causes them to go down in classic film history. Although most likely not in this case, since hardly enough people see foreign films in America to build any kind of a common lexicon around them.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-secret-in-their-eyes/1442753/trailers

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The Runaways

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true story of how the Runaways came together to be the first all-girl rock n' roll band, eventually spawning Joan Jett.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Stella Maeve, Riley Keough, Scout Taylor-Compton, Alia Shawkat, Johnny Lewis, Tatum O'Neal, Brett Cullen, Hannah Marks

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. The movie's not that bad, what makes it hard to take is the music.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Angelenos, who have experienced the smooth tones of d.j. Rodney Bingenhiemer on KROQ 106.7, will get a good laugh at Keir O'Donnell's dead on impersonation of his half-witted manner of speaking. It's like he's always reaching for the next word in a sentence, not quite sure whether or not it will come to him.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It's sad to see how easily kids on the road slip right into severe drug habits. If you, like I, know someone who is at the beginnings of a potentially very successful career in rock n' roll, this story is a scary reminder of how incredibly concerned you should be.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Yes. It's the Movie the Parents of Twilight Fans, Most Likely Don't Want their Little Girls to See. And the competition is stiff-- as you may have noticed, I saw Remember Me yesterday.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: In my review of The Yellow Handkerchief, I mentioned that Kristen Stewart is a one trick pony. Well, guess what? It turns out she has another trick. She is an incredibly convincing dyke! And Dakota Fanning, I've been a fan of hers since she was 3. Which doesn't make me feel any younger when I watch her in a film that takes place in the 70s, and it's exceedingly clear to me that she has no idea how to use a pay phone or put on a record... I can just imagine what it was like on the set, "Can someone please show Dakota how to play a 45?!" But she still gets it wrong...

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The directing is so good that I actually noticed it. Floria Sigismondi chooses really interesting angles and allows the actors to move around inside of her frames in ways that juxtapose them in one dynamic composition after another.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Floria Sigismondi's screenwriting skills aren't up to her direction, though. It's hard for anybody who's up against a biopic, and as usual, there's no big suspense pulling us through and keeping us involved, beside the fact that we go into it knowing that in real life they had some success.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-runaways/38105/trailers

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The Lovely Bones

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Based on the bestselling novel by Alice Sebold, a young girl watches over her family and the man who murdered her from a place called ‘the inbetween’, which isn’t quite heaven but will lead her there if she can find a way to let go of her mortal life.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli, Rose McIver, Reece Ritchie, Nikki SooHoo, Carolyn Dando

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. If you were a fan of the book (I was), little might keep you away from this big-budget adaptation, but you may want to keep your expectations in check. There is a lot that’s flat-out excellent about this movie, but too much of it misses the mark not only as an adaptation but also as a stand-alone film (i.e. as if the book had never existed).

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Hmm, let’s see, it’s about a 14 year old girl who is raped and murdered and the devastation that leaves behind. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say: no laughs.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Probably. Mostly in the first twenty minutes though.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Very possibly, with its best odds in the acting categories.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: If you saw Atonement and had any doubts left at that point that Saoirse Ronan was a budding star, then The Lovely Bones will remove them. She is the real deal and even starring opposite fellow Oscar nominees (and winners) like Rachel Weisz, Wahlberg and Sarandon, she still stands out. Mark Wahlberg and Stanley Tucci (both perfectly cast) make lasting impressions mainly due to the fact they have more screen time and their characters are better written than the adult women. Rose McIver as Susie’s little sister Lindsey, is also excellent in a supporting role that gains in importance as the story unfolds.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I’m not entirely convinced Peter Jackson was the best director for this material. For every amazing visual he puts on screen (and there are quite a few of them, both overblown and subtle), there are a plethora of others that make little sense in Susie’s ‘inbetween’ world. I’m sure he’s trying to keep his stable of New Zealand CGI-wizards busy between massive-spectacle films, but this story never needed these kinds of visual effects to make what at heart is an emotional story about a suburban family in 1973, work. When his visuals do resonate however, they are a sight to behold and not only look stunning, but also serve the emotion of the story (or scene) in spectacular ways.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It’s hard to understand some of the choices that were made in this adaptation, which shifts the weight of the main themes of the book from its emotional gut-punch into a more suspense-style thriller (and also telescopes the story by years). The first twenty minutes are near perfection in all aspects of filmmaking (and in rewarding fans of the book), but the script then goes a bit awry without fully going off the rails. There is still plenty of emotion in Susie Salmon’s journey, but it’s blunted by a disjointed structure that tries to shift the tone into something more akin to Hitchcock by way of Ghost. So much of this movie works and still delivers on a satisfying ending, but too much is just a bit off. Which is a shame, because it should have been a homerun when starting with such a great book and with this kind of talent both behind and in front of the cameras. I’m still convinced a brilliant movie could be made from Alice Sebold’s work; this version just isn’t it.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-lovely-bones/30065/trailers

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Man on Wire

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: This documentary tells the story of French tightrope walker, Philippe Petit, and his attempt to do his act in between the two World Trade Center buildings.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Philippe Petit, Annie Allix, Jean-Louis Blondeau, Jean-Francois Heckel, Jim Moore, Barry Greenhouse, David Foreman, Alan Welner, and "The Australian".

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. While the daring behind this amazing feet is impressive, and the lengths to which all these people went to illegally pull it off is insane, the ending leaves you wondering what emotion the film is trying to incite.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Yeah, because performance artists are crazy!

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Beware if you have a fear of heights, some of the shots will make you queasy.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: They wouldn't want any. Because art is beautiful! And awards are ugly.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Sometimes people cry, and I don't know why...

Q: How is the Directing?

A: James March does a great job of gathering tons of authentic footage of these people in the 70s, (which is when this death-defying act occurred). But the re-enactment scenes get a little cheesy when they show the fake actor's faces, and you realize it's not the real people.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There's something going on under the surface of this story, that for some reason is not shared with the audience. Some deep meaning, that I wish I knew... Alas, I was not there to experience it, and shall hence be forever left in the dark.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Seeing the Twin Towers in all their glory, and even watching them be built, has a tangential emotional effect, considering their now-known impending doom. This story of a young French man, whose psyche was overwhelmed by the mere idea that these two giant towers would go up and be the tallest in the world, only reinforces the deeper meaning those buildings used to have to people around the world, when they would think of America. And yet, at the same time, as his team reveals how they were able to go under cover and break into the buildings to pull off this illicit stunt, it makes you realize how vulnerable they've always been to terrorist acts.

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