B-

3 Hearts [3 coeurs]

Video posted on by moviebloke

(France 2014)

Chiara Mastroianni and Charlotte Gainsbourg are sisters who fall for the same man, Marc (Benoit Poelvoorde), unbeknownst to all three of them, in this very French melodrama directed by Benoît Jacquot. One sister gets the guy, the other does not. The reality of their bizarre love triangle slowly emerges, causing plot twists and character turns.

A few things made no sense to me. I didn’t see the attraction to Marc. I found very little chemistry between him and either sister. Catherine Deneuve is the sisters’ mother, a curiously inconsequential role–I’m not sure why she took it. I preferred her covered in horse shit in Belle du jour, anyway.

Thanks to a schedule change, I had to leave this one right before the end so I could get to my next screening. If 3 Hearts had a point to make, it was lost on me. Still, I would have liked to see how this wrapped up.

(St. Anthony Main) B-

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival

http://cohenmedia.net/films/three-hearts

 

Maps to the Stars

Video posted on by moviebloke

(USA 2014)

David Cronenberg’s satire of the film industry and fame in general. Drifter Agatha (Mia Wasikowska) from Jupiter (Florida, not the planet) shows up in L.A. to hook up with Carrie Fisher—who makes a brief cameo—and is hired as the personal assistant of whack job actress Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore). Agatha has an odd obsession with fading child star Benjie Weiss (Evan Bird), whose father (John Cusack) happens to be Segrand’s “healer.” Robert Pattinson costars as Jerome, Agatha’s hired driver and an aspiring actor/screenwriter.

Hollywood loves to make snarky movies about itself, and this cynical little tale is no exception. Though not the same movie, Maps to the Stars is cut from the same cloth as maybe The Player. The ending left me with a lot of fodder to ponder and discuss, but the story as a whole lacks something– maybe wit? Bite? Excitement? I don’t know, but Maps to the Stars is not Cronenberg’s best work even if it stands on its own. The strong performances all around are what elevate it from what is potentially a low-end David Lynch knock-off.

(Music Box) B-

http://mapstothestarsfilm.com

Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine

Video posted on by moviebloke

(USA 2015)

Matthew Shepard’s legacy needs no introduction. This tender but powerful little documentary, however, sets out to show us who Matt Shepard was, as a person. Directed by Michele Josuehe, a friend from his teenage years at a Swiss boarding school, the film is packed with intimate details of his life that have not been shared—at least not on a mass level. Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine shows Matt as an imperfect kid who was searching to find himself, like we all were at his age.

The film bravely confronts topics like Matt’s final hours, how his killers have fared, his parents’ decision to request (successfully) that the death penalty not be imposed, and a painfully uncomfortable interview with a priest about forgiveness. Although it takes a little while to get going and occasionally dips into nostalgia, Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine is a worthy effort.

Screening followed by a live Q and A with director Michele Josuehe.

(AMC River East) B-

http://mattshepardisafriendofmine.com

Leviathan [Leviafan] [Левиафан]

Video posted on by moviebloke

(Russia 2014)

A small village Russian fisherman (Alexey Serebryakov) spars with a corrupt mayor (Roman Madyanov) hellbent on taking his land. Director Andrey Zvyagintsev packs into two hours a ton of melodrama with political and religious undertones. I wish I knew more about Russian history and its current climate because suspect it would have helped me appreciate Leviathan more. Beautifully filmed in drabulous greys and blues, it sure is purty. The audience got on my nerves with their talking and cellphones going off.

(Music Box) B-

http://sonyclassics.com/leviathan/

http://www.palacefilms.com.au/leviathan/

Big Eyes

Link posted on by moviebloke

(USA/Canada 2014)

A desperate housewife’s foray into 1960s San Francisco art scene becomes a surprising if dubious success. An “agreement” with her wannabe artiste husband, however, silences her claim to fame.

Something of a morality play, Tim Burton’s stamp is all over Big Eyes. But that doesn’t mean it’s great—it certainly is no Edward Scissorhands or Ed Wood. The problem here is that it lacks the heart of Burton’s earlier work. Too bad. Despite a rushed wrap-up, though, Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz turn in highly enjoyable performances that save Big Eyes from complete inanity.

With Danny Huston, Krysten Ritter, Jason Schwartzman, Terence Stamp, Jon Polito, Delaney Raye, Madeleine Arthur , James Saito, Farryn VanHumbeck, Guido Furlani

106 minutes
Rated PG-13

(Landmark Century) B-

http://bigeyesfilm.com