Four Lions

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A group of British Jihadists prepare to blow themselves up, but based on their behavior, they could just as easily be preparing for a Vaudeville act starring Larry, Curly, and Mo.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Riz Ahmed, Kayvan Novak, Nigel Lindsay, Arsher Ali, Adeel Akhtar, Preeya Kalidas, Julia Davis, Benedict Cumberbatch

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. The idea behind the idea is pretty genius, once you're in on the joke, but it's really challenging to figure out the joke.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you can get past the language barrier, and the style of the humor, I'm pretty sure this movie is drop dead hilarious. As for me, I understood about every third word, despite it supposedly being in English.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: The saddest thing about it is that many of the moronic things these would-be suicide bombers do and say are inspired by true events. Like the time the jihadist was on a bicycle, on his way to deliver a bomb, and he veered to avoid a pothole running right into a lamppost. Boom! True story.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The Wash Your Mouth Out with Soap Award. Thanks to this movie, prematurely exploding doesn't have to be sexual innuendo anymore!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Nigel Lindsay stands out as being Ali G level funny. Kayvan Novak and Riz Ahmed have the looks to be big stars-- which isn't to say that they weren't funny as all Hell, too. And Julia Davis is just... wow, she has a timing all her own.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The directing is one of the few aspects of the film that is totally amateurish. You rarely know where the characters are in relation to each other or the room, and the look is of embarrassingly low quality. Director Chris Morris comes from a TV background in Great Britain, which is notorious for putting shows on the air that look like they were shot on a 1980s camcorder... but the poor resolution may also have been due to the projection system in the dumpy rent-a-theater I saw it in.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It's particularly hard to figure out if these guys are serious about martyring themselves, or if they're just making some kind of a film within a film about what it would be like if they were. That said, some of the dialogue is pretty brilliant. In a nonsensical way.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/four-lions/10024302/trailers

Back To Top

A Prophet (un prophète)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A young Arab man (Tahar Rahim) goes to prison, where he is forced to kill or be killed. Before he knows it, he is rising through the ranks in a gang of Corsican natives who hate Arabs.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif, Hichem Yacoubi, Reda Kateb, Jean-Philippe Ricci, Jean-Emmanuel Pagni, Leila Bekhti, Slimane Dazi, Rabah Loucif, Frederic Graziani

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Navigating politics is never easy, but navigating prison politics is so hard, you'd have to be some kind of prophet to do it. This film plays out like a season of Survivor, where if you get caught lying and manipulating, you get your flame snuffed out-- but literally.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: More than you'd expect from a film filled with blood and murder. But for me the funniest bit was a conversation about conjugating the French subjonctif plus-que-parfait, which reminded me of the time I spent in French school asking the teachers why, if nobody used it anymore, I (along with every other French child in the world) was required to learn it? It would be like Americans having to learn old English... or new English, for that matter.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you didn't want to go to prison before seeing this, then after seeing this film, you really won't want to go there. You might even get scared right into passing your GED.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: All of them. Here's a condensed list of the ones it's already won: BAFTA, Cesar, National Board of Review USA, European Film Awards, Cannes... And this weekend we'll see if it adds Spirit Award and Oscar to the list. I think it will.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: There were actors in this film? I didn't recognize any of them.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The movie is way too long, but there is a lot of information to get out, and certainly some moments when you notice how interestingly that information is gotten out.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Intricate, intense, original, and with an Arab protagonist, who is not a good guy, but only doing bad things because he has to. He is also smarter than anyone else in the room, and more honest, so you never stop feeling for him, despite the fact that he's not usually doing anything that commendable.

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

A: As a native French speaker, I wondered if it would be confusing to mono-linguists watching subtitles where the Corsicans often speak their language, and the Arabs often speak their language, and there is no differentiation on screen for those who don't know that they're no longer speaking French-- which is relevant because it means certain people in the room can no longer understand what is being said. And what is being said could potentially at any time be, "Kill that guy."

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/a-prophet-un-prophete/38552/trailers

Back To Top

Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: World renowned, Senegalese pop sensation, Youssou Ndour, decides to make a religious album about his Muslim faith.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Youssou Ndour, his family, Peter Gabriel, Bono, the President of Senegal, and the Egyptian Orchestra

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This concert film tries to take on the humanitarian and religious issues that Youssou speaks on behalf of, but the storytelling fails, so the primary reason to go see this film is because you're a pre-existing fan of Youssou Ndour. If that describes you, you will not be disappointed by the wall to wall coverage of his music and performances throughout.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you've ever been to Africa, you will enjoy a few cultural displays of things that could only ever happen there.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: For the true music aficionado, there is always a chance that his beautiful voice will induce tears.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most likely not, but the high point of the film revolves around a very big award that Youssou may or may not get.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Youssou acts like a man of great integrity and strength... and I actually believe that he is. I only wish more American celebrities would follow his lead when it comes to displaying humility and dignity.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: They shot this documentary for two years and captured 450 hours of footage, which supposedly contained many great stories that they had a hard time cutting out... but from what they chose to keep in, I think they may have left some of the best stuff on the cutting room floor.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: This film only scratches the surface of what is compelling about his story and his humanitarian efforts, so you can't help but feel that something important is missing. Despite the fact that they think they made an important film (which a more sophisticated storyteller could have), this ultimately isn't much more than a series of snippets from concerts, where you will have a chance to see entire songs performed, and read subtitles as to what the lyrics mean. Feel free to derive the meaning yourself. Oh, and the last 15 minutes are great-- a little late for my taste.

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

A: Even though you think you don't know who this guy is, you do. He's the African singer on Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes," and he sings "7 seconds" with Neneh Cherry.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/youssou%20ndour%20i%20bring%20what%20i%20love/trailers

Back To Top

Religulous

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Bill Maher documents his trip to many of the most sacred and religiously meaningful places in the world, as he interviews high and low level participants of all denominations, in various religions, about why they believe what's written in the storybooks.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jesus, Mary, Joseph Smith, Allah, Moses, Xenu... and his Holiness: Bill Maher.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. People of faith will be offended by this film, while atheists, agnostics, intellectuals, and people with a sense of humor will worship it.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Jonah Hill (of Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Knocked up) gives his funniest line reading of the year. And that's not all.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but you might start talking in tongues. Praise be Jesus.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: That depends on if Maher's God is a vengeful one or not.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Some of Bill Maher's reaction shots are priceless. One of them is the biggest laugh in the movie. And man, is that guy quick!

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The directing looks un-thought out and amateurish. Both the second camera and the boom mics regularly find themselves in the shots.  And while I can't imagine what Larry Charles was thinking when he put his B-Camera on a profile shot of Bill Maher, (causing him to regularly discuss the issues with the right side of the screen), I'm pretty sure I know what he was thinking when he got to the editing room: "Why on Earth did I put my B-Camera on such a stupid, ugly angle?!... I guess God is punishing me for making this film."

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It's kind of like Borat, but instead of an ignorant guy pointing out how stupid Americans are, it's a guy who's too smart for his own good pointing out how stupid devout people are. In other words, it's way more controversial. And sometimes, it's so intellectually mind-bending that your head starts to puff up as if it's about to explode.

Back To Top

Traitor

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Samir Horn (Don Cheadle) is definitely a traitor. But is he a traitor to the United States or to the terrorists?

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Jeff Daniels, Neal McDonough, Said Taghmaoui, Archie Panjabi, Aly Khan, Alexandra Castillo, Raad Rawi, Lorena Gale

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Even when you think you know whose side he's on, you don't. This double-agent, spy thriller will keep you constantly second guessing yourself.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There is one good laugh, well into the third act, and it's really a strange thing to laugh at.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Maybe if you're a religious extremist.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's certainly that kind of a film.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Don Cheadle hits all the right levels as he carefully navigates the line between innocent and guilty, never quite giving away which category he falls into.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Jeffrey Nachmanoff's camera constantly moves in exciting ways, often showcasing original angles, all without distracting you from the story line.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It starts out like a run of the mill terrorist movie, but it steadily ramps up with every frame, becoming constantly more suspenseful as it draws to an end that actually has a point.

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

A: Even as the movie jumps from location to location, the editing is seamless. And the second-unit aerial shots of Chicago make you want to go there more than any other Chicago-based movie I've seen.

Back To Top