Scotland is a country that doesn’t get represented on film too often. The land is absolutely beautiful and full of rich history but when the casual moviegoer pictures it, not much comes to mind other than Mel Gibson yelling with war paint on his face or maybe sequences from Highlander. There is much to behold in Scotland and the latest hipster musical/drama God Help the Girl manages to blend quirky drama with lovely visions of Glasgow on a calm summer’s day. It is a unique film that showcases the musician-turned-filmmaker Stuart Murdoch’s talents, who is actually the frontman for indie pop band “Belle and Sebastian”. God Help the Girl is Murdoch’s directorial debut.
The Identical
Musical dramas often present predictable and cliché stories. Troubled characters and relationships riddled with conflict are usually at the forefront of movies that fall into this genre. The Identical, while being a squeaky clean and sincere tale, is one such film that goes the direction of “been there, done that”. It is rated PG and has some religious undertones, making it appropriate for the entire family. The performances feel very familiar and so does the movie’s ultimate message. With a bland plot and decent songs, it isn’t necessarily a bad film; it just doesn’t go above that of average quality.
The November Man
There seems to be a popular trend these days with certain actors when they approach or surpass their 60s. For some reason, when male actors reach this decade, they decide to star in violent, explosive, sometimes entertaining action/thrillers. It apparently started in 2008 with Liam Neeson in Taken, continued in 2010 with Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables, and was evident earlier this year with Kevin Costner in 3 Days to Kill, and so on. Post-midlife crisis cinematic bloodbaths are all the rage nowadays and Pierce Brosnan’s latest actioner The November Man firmly reinforces that fact. It is a ridiculous quasi-interesting spy thriller that features decent performances, lots of dead bodies, and little less.
Boredom
Human beings express a wide range of emotions and exhibit many different types of behavior. Boredom is one such feeling and the subject of one of the year’s most illuminating documentaries. The film, aptly titled Boredom, explores what causes this common feeling and how it can not only be bad for your mental health but bad for your physical health as well. People often overlook the issue of boredom and attribute it to a great many things but they don’t really dig deep to unearth the reasons behind it. Boredom does just that and if you are curious about the subject, then this documentary is definitely for you.
Starred Up
Prison sucks. There’s no disputing that. Being behind bars is probably hell on Earth for many people who’ve been caught breaking the law. Being caged like an animal can be truly taxing on one’s psyche and whoever does the crime must certainly do the time. The latest British prison drama Starred Up is the perfect representation of what’s it like to be in the clink and the results are gritty, brutal, and absolutely sensational.
The Congress
What happens when youth and beauty start to fade? Well, in Hollywood, when that happens, the once beautiful actress and symbol of all things young and sexy is put out to pasture. The sad truth is that once an actress is past her prime, she is no longer in demand. Everything she worked for and went through will be nothing more than a memory, a piece of history. The Congress is a bleak, honest, and entertaining sci-fi drama which addresses the issue of age and celebrity, a very important part of the entertainment business. This film explores said issue in a way that is unique, scathing, and at times, kind of fun.
Lebowski Fest New York 2014
There are many movies out there that contain lines of dialogue that are not only memorable but are ingrained in the collective conscious of civilization. Cult films in particular warrant constant recitation of lines and scene reenactment. The 1998 off-beat comedy classic The Big Lebowski is one such film and fans of the Coen Bros. gem flock every year to pay tribute at Lebowski Fest, a traveling event which celebrates the film. This weekend, the festivities took place in Manhattan and the Big Apple was treated to two days of fun, dress up, trivia, and bowling.
Are You Here
In recent years, the comedic entity known as the Frat Pack has suffered something of a decline. Will Ferrell and his band of misfits enjoyed a good decade or so of sophomoric antics and juvenile adventures. Things for this group of clowns basically came to a halt when the hugely successful The Hangover started cloning itself with its sequels. With those films, the world was exposed to a new member of the pack, Mr. Zack Galifianakis, a hairy hobbit-like gentleman with a unique and highly unpredictable brand of humor. His latest comedy Are You Here pairs him up with veteran Frat Packer Owen Wilson. Throw in an awkward performance from funny girl Amy Poehler and you’d think you’d have all the ingredients necessary for a winning chuckle-fest. Sadly, the results here are lackluster at best.
May in the Summer
Movies that deal with dysfunctional families are often the basis of goofy romps punctuated by the frequent belly laugh. We all have relatives who drive us up the wall and provide for ridiculous yet grounded situations. While many family comedies go this route on screen, May in the Summer goes a different route, that of realism, grit, and honesty. It is an indie dramedy that reflects many of our base feelings when it comes to our loved ones. It isn’t loud, flashy, or insane. It is simple, genuine, and a mirror of how families actually operate.
The Giver
Usually when a popular and critically-acclaimed book is adapted for the silver screen, the transfer isn’t very strong. Books are typically better on paper rather than celluloid. That can be said about a great many book-to-film conversions and the same can certainly be said about Lois Lowry’s 1993 The Giver, a very popular children’s sci-fi drama which was currently brought to movie audiences too lazy to read the book in the first place. It stars Academy Award-winning actors Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep but they are terribly underused and when they do appear on screen, their performances are lackluster at best.
Unger the Radar 