"Off Jackson Avenue"

It may be an ultra low budget production, a fact betrayed by its lack of polish and at times awkward performances, but John-Luke Montias' Off Jackson Avenue, which opens for an exclusive one week engagement at The Quad in NYC on July 17, is an interesting little diamond in the rough.

While it takes its interconnecting storyline structure from films such as Crash and Babel, a trend that is getting a bit old hat, it never really feels forced. The low budget and breakneck speed of the production are often very apparent, but the film is ultimately quite enjoyable, despite a few bizarre touches) and shows promise of greater things for Montias.

I will post a review closer to the film's release. In the meantime, check out the trailer here:

Trailer: "Captain Abu Raed"

"Captain Abu Raed"

*NOTE* This review was originally published on January 15, 2009. I'm re-posting it now to coincide with the film's US release:

"Every man has a point that defines him."

As spoken in Captain Abu Raed, those words are meant to be threatening, said by an angry, abusive father to a frightened son about to be punished for stealing.

But by the film's end, those words have taken on a completely different meaning, as the film examines the nature of heroism and the effects a man can have on the lives of others.

Abu Raed is an elderly janitor (wonderfully played by Nadim Sawalha) working at the Amman airport in Jordan. His wife has been dead for several years, and he is spending his twilight years alone in a lonely hovel in a run down neighborhood in an impoverished side of town.

His life takes an unexpected turn one day, however, when he finds a pilot's hat in an airport trashcan and wears it home, and is mistaken for an airplane captain by a neighborhood boy.

Abu Raed at first dismisses the boy's fanciful questions, but as more and more children begin showing up at his front door, he decides to indulge their fantasies and become Captain Abu Raed, regaling them with tales of his wild adventures all over the world. He becomes a hero to all the neighborhood children, even after reality makes a hard and dangerous appearance.

It would be easy to accuse the film of having a sentimental streak a mile wide, and indeed it is a nostalgic, fable-like ode to childhood, often shot in warm, sunny hues. But unlike many films in which this is the case, Captain Abu Raed allows for something deeper. There is very much a sense of childlike wonder inherent in the film, with moments of sublime beauty and innocence, but it does not ignore the darker elements of reality in its quest to present a child's view of the world.

Director Amin Matalqa captures a rare sense of awe at life's simple pleasures, be they riding in a car with your hand out the window, allowing the wind currents to give you the sensation of flying, or just lying down and staring at the sky, and imagining what it must be like to soar through the heavens. These are simple people with simple goals, and Abu Raed brings these children a magic they may not otherwise have had.

It is most interesting looking at Captain Abu Raed, and its surprising similarities to another current film, Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino. While wholly different in execution, the overall themes are not altogether dissimilar; a lonely old man with a bit of a grumpy streak who is transformed by neighborhood children, and in turn affects their lives in ways none of them could have ever imagined. Abu Raed is ultimately the more sentimental of the two films, and while I would probably give Gran Torino higher marks overall, Captain Abu Raed probably had a more profound emotional impact on me.

True, there are moments that lack directorial polish, but Matalqa delivers some truly masterful moments here. There is a long shot later in the film of a Abu Raed climbing a long flight of stairs alone, that may be quite possibly one of the most stirring and heartbreaking shots in recent memory.

Crying in movies is something I do quite often. It really doesn't take much. But it is rare for a movie to bring on the tears the way Captain Abu Raed did. When the film ended, I just sat on my bed and cried through the entire end credits sequence. That's how profoundly touching it is. And its emotional impact is achieved not through manipulation or ridiculous plot twists, but through the simple idea of heroism, and how one person can affect the lives of others. It almost takes on a power reminiscent of Cinema Paradiso, and coming from me that is high praise indeed.

Every man has a moment that defines him. And for the children in this poor neighborhood in Amman, there was Captain Abu Raed. A man who was never who he said he was, but ended up being so much more. It is a beautiful, tender tale that not only sneaks into the hearts of the audience, but may well be a definining moment in Jordanian cinema.

GRADE - ★★★½ (out of four)

CAPTAIN ABU RAED; Directed by Amin Matalqa; Stars Nadim Sawalha, Rana Sultan, Hussein Al-Sous, Udey Al-Qiddissi; Not Rated; In Arabic w/English subtitles; Opens in February in New York and Chicago

On "Public Enemies"

From The Dispatch:

Through the use of digital cameras, cinematographer Dante Spinotti gives the film a grainy, gritty look that, while quite possibly the film's most controversial element, is probably its most successful. The stark, monochromatic palette is similar to the look of Mann's last two films, "Collateral" and "Miami Vice," and it makes what could have been another slick, overproduced period piece feel startlingly contemporary. It makes for an interesting and daring hybrid. The lush sets and gorgeous costumes coupled with the grainy cinematography make for a totally immersive experience, pulling a modern audience into a bygone era of fast cars, tommy guns and femme fatales.

Click here to read my full review.

Review: "The Beaches of Agnès"

One can't help but have great respect for Agnès Varda. After all, she's a living legend - one of the greats. As one of the members of the French New Wave, she has worked with such luminaries as Jean-Luc Godard (who appeared in her seminal film, Cleo from 5 to 7 in 1962) and Francois Truffaut. Her husband, Jacques Demy, directed the classic French musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Cinema is in her blood, and for a woman of her immense talent and life experience, seeing her direct a film that reflects back on her life in her own words should be a cinephile's dream.

However, the resulting film is more of a convoluted mess than a revealing look inside an artist's process. One could always make the argument that a glimpse into the mind of an artist is always going to be a bit of a wild and disarming experience, but in her new film, The Beaches of Agnès, Varda throws everything resembling cinematic form and cohesive structure out the window in favor of aimless navel-gazing.

There is always going to be some self indulgence present in a pseudo-documentary about one's own life, especially when said person is an artist of any kind. To her credit, The Beaches of Agnès is very much free of the pretension that made Terrence Davies' Of Time and the City so interminable, but it also lacks that film's inherent beauty. Armed with a consumer grade digital video camera, Varda sets out to create a portrait of her own life through a series of metaphorical set pieces and recollections. Jumping from one thing to another with no real cohesion, we go from fascinating insights about Godard and the French New Wave while working on Cleo from 5 to 7 (where he allowed her to photograph him without his trademark sunglasses), or of directing her dying husband's biopic, to bizarre and off putting scenes of Varda having conversations with an animated cat, or pretending to drive around in a cardboard car.

Having just discovered the ease and freedom of DV, it seems as if Varda has discovered cinema for the first time. But instead of feeling like the renaissance of a seasoned master, it feels like a turgid and amateurish student film. It's easy to see that Varda is having a great time frolicking around on the beach and reflecting upon her life in her own way, but the film itself never translates into any kind of satisfying whole.

For a woman of her age (she turned 81 this year) to still be making films with the same kind of energy and verve is a remarkable achievement in and of itself. But her latest film is just too self-indulgent and too scattershot to recommend. It's worth watching for cinephiles and devotees of the Nouvelle Vague, but even then the insights it offers are often lost amid the film's random, rambling musings. Varda directs with the unabashed glee of a child who has found her parents' camcorder, but too often that's exactly what the film feels like.

It is a rare and unfortunate misstep in a long and illustrious career.

GRADE - ★½ (out of four)

THE BEACHES OF AGNÈS; Directed by Agnès Varda; Not Rated; In French w/English subtitles; Opens tomorrow, 7/1, at the Film Forum in Manhattan.

Win 2 Tickets to See "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

Ladies and gentlemen, after a long hiatus, contests have returned to From the Front Row. Through our new partnership with Fandango, I am pleased to bring blog readers a chance to win 2 tickets to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Warner, 7.15). All you have to do is send an email to contests.fromthefrontrow@gmail.com with the subject heading HARRY POTTER TICKETS, along with your name.

And that's it!

The winner will be selected at random from the submissions I receive. Only one entry per person, please. Entries will be accepted through July 10, the winner will be announced on July 11.

Good luck!

The Best of 2009 (So Far)

With 2009 almost half way over, I've been looking back on the first half of the year at the films that I feel are the best. While it is too early to pass judgment on the year as a whole, but there have been quite a few excellent films, many of which have been overlooked.

Here are the 10 films that have been released so far in 2009 (or will be by the end of June) that have resonated with me the most, in alphabetical order:

• Anvil! The Story of Anvil (Sacha Gervasi, USA)
• Captain Abu Raed (Amin Matalqa, Jordan)
• The Garden (Scott Hamilton Kennedy, USA)
• Goodbye Solo (Ramin Bahrani, USA)
• Munyurangabo (Lee Isaac Chung, Rwanda/USA)
• Summer Hours (Olivier Assayas, France)
• Three Monkeys (Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkey)
• Tokyo Sonata (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Japan)
• Unmistaken Child (Nati Baratz, Israel)
• Up (Pete Docter, USA)

That's a strong group of films, and quite honestly they would be strong enough to make a respectable year end top ten list. There are a couple of films I have seen that won't be released until the second half of the year that would actually make the list, but since they won't be released before July are ineligible. On top of this we've had a few very good films that just narrowly missed this list, like Greg Mottola's moving coming of age comedy, Adventureland, and Kathryn Bigelow's widely acclaimed war actioner, The Hurt Locker. There have also been some top drawer summer blockbusters like J.J. Abrams' Star Trek (still the highest grossing film of the year, with no close competition), and several excellent films on the horizon (Ponyo, You, the Living, Heart of Fire, Rumba).

It has yet to be seen how the year end prestige fare will turn out, but already 2009 has been a pretty good year. Hollywood's summer fare, by and large, hasn't been great, but if you know where to look, we've had quite a few small gems out there this year, and the ten films listed here are an excellent place to start.

"Goodbye Solo" Comes Home

OK North Carolina folks, one of the year's best films, Goodbye Solo, opens today in Winston-Salem at the Grand 18, and Greensboro at the Carousel.

Filmed right here in Winston and Blowing Rock, this powerful tale of friendship between a friendly cab driver and a lonely old man is one of the most acclaimed films of 2009. I've been pushing it here since before its release in March, but since it's just now opening in the area, I'd say it bears repeating.

GO. SEE. THIS. MOVIE.

I recently payed to see it at a commercial screening here in Boone, and the reactions were all very positive. I think I even liked it more upon second viewing. It's such a lovely and profound film, and the shared experience of seeing it with an audience seemed to deepen its impact.

My review was published in The Dispatch this week to coincide with its local release. Here is a excerpt:

"Goodbye Solo" is, above all else, a film about love. It is an unconditional love between two friends who come to share a deep and unbreakable understanding. It is a film of profound wisdom and great beauty, so much so it gave me chills. And I say all of this not as someone who is from here but as a human being.

Don't miss your chance to see one of the year's finest films on the big screen. The fact that it was made in North Carolina just makes it that much more special. Movies this good don't come along very often.

"Under Our Skin" Expands Today

Andy Abrahams Wilson's terrifying documentary, Under Our Skin, has expanded into additional cities today.

For those of you who have yet to see this film, which sadly is probably almost all of you, I urge you to check this film out. It's an important work that needs to be seen. Some Lyme disease advocate groups are even going so far as to buy tickets for the film in faraway cities just to boost the numbers to try to get it to expand even further. This is a film that has the potential to bring about real change, and the more people that see it the more likely those in the medical establishment are likely to take notice.

Visit the film's website (which now features a quote from yours truly) for more information on how you can get involved in the fight to stop Lyme disease. Click here to read my review.

Review: "The Hurt Locker"

It seems like Kathryn Bigelow's much buzzed about and widely admired The Hurt Locker should have come out a long time ago. Critics and bloggers have been talking about it for a long time, many of us having seen it months ago or even longer.

And rightly so, The Hurt Locker, probably the first straight action movie to come out of the Iraq war, is a fantastic film that deserves to be noticed. But one can't help but wonder if waiting this long to release it may hurt it in the long run.

Like I said, it feels like it has been so long since I saw this film that it should have already come and gone. But I can't help but wonder if Summit is trying to drive the point home that keeps getting brought up again and again - this isn't just another Iraq war movie.

Nearly all the films to deal with Iraq directly so far have been commercial flops. But almost every one had some kind of serious political message. For a country weary of war, movies that remind people what a horrible situation we're in just aren't attracting big box office numbers, and understandably so.

But The Hurt Locker is different. Bigelow has no political agenda here, no axe to grind, and no message to convey. Her goal is to thrill, and she succeeds in spades. This is no weepy "war is hell" drama, this is a hard-edged, white knuckle action movie that turns on the tension to the max and never lets up.

Following an elite military bomb squad in Iraq, The Hurt Locker centers around hotshot squad leader William James (Jeremy Renner), who arrives to replace the squad's fallen former leader. But his over confidence and cocky swagger put him at odds with his crew, as he throws caution to the wind, putting the crew in increasingly tight and dangerous situations.

The Hurt Locker has one goal on its mind, and that is to give its audience the ride of their lives. And that is precisely what it does. Diffusing bombs has got to be one of the most nerve-shredding cinematic devices ever created, and Bigelow grinds out every last ounce of tension possible. This is absolute top drawer action filmmaking, with masterful use of editing and sound design to create maximum suspense. Her portrayal of the comraderie between the soldiers makes it that much more intense.

Few movies can actually claim to be completely unpredictable, but unlike most Hollywood action thrillers, The Hurt Locker actually delivers on that promise. Just when you think you know who will live and who will die, Bigelow changes directions and pulls the rug out from under us. It is a testament to her craft that she is able to keep up the level of tension and supsense right up until the end, but no other film this year has delivered the thrills like this one does. Forget for a second that this is an Iraq movie and just go. As taut and tense as a trip-wire, The Hurt Locker is a go-for-broke, hang on for dear life, action thrill ride that, from an artist's perspective, also happens to be one of the most well made films so far this year.

GRADE - ★★★½ (out of four)

THE HURT LOCKER; Directed by Kathryn Bigelow; Stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pierce, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Evangeline Lilly; Rated R for war violence and language. Opens tomorrow, 6/26, in New York and Los Angeles.

GRADE -

Review: "The Stoning of Soraya M."

Cyrus Nowrasteh's The Stoning of Soraya M. (Roadside, 6.26) could not have been released at a better time. With the social upheaval surrounding the recent election in Iran taking center stage in the world's focus, suddenly everyone is taking a much harder look at Iranian culture and politics.

With the young people taking the fate of their country into their own hands in a reaction against the oppressive Islamic rules of the past, Iran is in a state of violent revolution. The Stoning of Soraya M., based on the best selling non-fiction book of the same name by Freidoune Sahebjam, takes an unforgettable look at the barbaric practice of execution by stoning, still practiced in many places throughout the world. It is the punishment demanded by strict adherence to Islamic Sharia law for the crime of adultry.

Set in 1986, the film begins with French journalist Sahebjam's (Jim Caviezel) car breaking down in a small village near the Iranian border. But something is amiss in this tiny town, and when he meets Zahra (Shohreh Aghdashloo), a frantic widow who has urgent news, it becomes quickly apparent that the little village has a dark secret.

Zahra insists that Sahebjam listen to her story, so that the world may know what is going on in Iran. What unfolds is a haunting and disturbing tale of deceit, betrayal, and pure human barbarism, as Zahra's neice, Soraya (Mozhan Marno) finds herself falsely accused of adultry after her husband takes up with a 14 year old girl. Desperate to get rid of his wife in accordance with Sharia law, he conspires with the village's illigitimate mullah to have her accused of sleeping at another man's house. As the rumor mill begins to turn in the small town, everyone, including her own sons, turns against Soraya, and the town's moral fervor soon results in her horrific death by stoning in the town square.

It is a grim and shocking tale of not only man's inhumanity to man, but of the plight of women in an oppressive Islamix society living under the iron fist of the Ayatollah. As Soraya's husband openly cavorts with a 14 year old girl, it is she that bears the brunt of the law's moral outrage. It is a society where women are totally marginalized, and through the courage of Soraya and Zahra, the story has now been heard, and it is even more powerful and important than ever.

The film itself, however, isn't without its problems. The Stoning of Soraya M. is essentially a melodrama, and it has the tendency to veer off into overwrought histrionics, especially in its cliched and manipulative final shot. It's beautifully filmed and superbly crafted, but I think it would have benefited from a gritter, more hard edged treatment, a trap that 2007's The Kite Runner also fell into. It almost feels overproduced...too beautiful for such repulsive subject matter.

The actual stoning, on the other hand, is every bit as shocking and unbearable to watch as it should be, in many ways echoing the torture scenes from The Passion of the Christ (and not just because of the presence of Jim Caviezel and John Debney's ethnically rich score) in its graphic ferocity. The searing images and powerful performances ultimately overpower the sometimes overripe direction, and the audience is left with the feeling that it has witnessed something truly powerful, and indeed, quite important. It is a respectable and solidly made melodrama whose lofty intentions are more noble than they are effective. But with a strong mix of first rate performances and unforgettable images, The Stoning of Soraya M. is a film that leaves a lasting impression.

GRADE - ★★★ (out of four)

THE STONING OF SORAYA M.; Directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh; Stars Shohreh Aghdashloo, Jim Cavizel, Mozhan Marnò, Navid Negahban, David Diann, Ali Pourtash; Rated R for a disturbing sequence of cruel and brutal violence, and brief strong language; Opens tomorrow, 6/26, in select cities.

Review: "Afghan Star"

It's hard to imagine, as an American who is used to all the freedoms and privileges that that entails, a show like American Idol being anything more than a pop culture sensation. To say that it has any deeper meaning or social significance is almost laughable. But to a country just coming out from under the oppressive rule of a radical Islamic regime, a televised talent competition could bring the modern world rushing in in a way few other things could.

For Afghanistan, the show Afghan Star is more than just a talent competition. It is a social and cultural watershed moment that is for many their first encounter with the democratic process. With music having been banned under Taliban rule, Afghan Star brings both modernity and multiculturalism to Afghanistan, as contestants from all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds compete for the title.

That is probably the show's most commendable and most problematic element. For most people, it is the contestant's ethnicity that defines their allegiance more than their actual talent. Not that the finalists chronicled in Havana Marking's new documentary, Afghan Star aren't talented, but it is a shame to see the competition come down to voting along ethnic lines.

Contestant Lima Sahar on stage in AFGHAN STAR, a film by Havana Marking. A Zeitgeist Films release.

The film takes its cues from other documentaries such as Spellbound and Mad Hot Ballroom, following four contestants from the early stages of the competition to the final performance, each one coming from a different ethic background. While Marking focuses on the contestants and their on-the-road campaigns for the title, the real political undercurrents seem to get overlooked. Ethic and gender politics play a huge role in what's going on here, and while that occasionally comes to the fore, the musical aspect is what really takes center stage. Credit must be given to Marking for focusing on the show's unifying elements, there is often less Slumdog Millionaire and more Kite Runner at work here.

For all the progress Afghanistan has made in even allowing a musical competition to take place, it is still shocking to see such a national uproar when one of the contestants dances on stage, even to the disgust of her fellow competitors. The controversy is so huge that the show is threatened with being shut down, while she is met with death threats and must be put under protection. They've come a long way just to get to Afghan Star, but they still have a long way to go.

Contestants Rafi Naabzada (left) and Lima Sahar (center) on stage in AFGHAN STAR, a film by Havana Marking. A Zeitgeist Films release.

Structurally, Afghan Star is nothing new. From that standpoint, it's a pretty standard competition documentary. But the subject is something new and extraordinary. Afghan Star is so much more than a reality show, it is a microcosm of the birth of a new democracy, of a free people facing the dawn of a new day. It isn't always a smooth transition, and while Marking occasionally misses prime opportunities for deeper studies of the the subjects at hand, the film is both compelling and emotionally involving. As a sociopolitical cultural study, Afghan Star is completely fascinating, even if it ultimately leaves you wanting more.

GRADE - ★★★ (out of four)

AFGHAN STAR; Directed by Havana Marking; Not Rated; Opens tomorrow, 6/26, in NYC at Cinema Village.

82nd Oscar Ceremony to Feature 10 Best Picture Nominees

In probably one of the most shocking changes to the Oscars in recent memories, AMPAS president Sid Ganis announced today that next year's Academy Award ceremony will feature 10 Best Picture nominees instead of the traditional five.

There haven't been that many nominees since 1943, and one wonders if the uproar over last year's Dark Knight snub has anything to do with this.

Personally, I think it's a terrible idea. While recognizing more great films is certainly an attractive proposition, being more inclusive makes the title of Best Picture nominee less prestigious.

Didn't they watch The Incredibles?

If every one is special...then no one is.

Review: "Under Our Skin"

One of the most rewarding things about documentary films are their ability to expose little known injustices in a compelling and artistic way.

In Andy Abrahams Wilson's terrifying new documentary, Under Our Skin, one of the most controversial and overlooked medical emergencies of our time. One that some doctors say doesn't even exist.

The epidemic in question is Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness that can only be spread through the bites of certain ticks.

But is there more to the story than originally thought?

Lyme disease is named after the town of Lyme, Connecticut, where in 1975 the mysterious disease was affecting whole families without any diagnosis.

Warnings seem insufficient to halt the growing Lyme disease epidemic. From UNDER OUR SKIN, a film by Andy Abrahams Wilson.

Now, the illness known as Lyme disease has a very specific set of symptoms that are widely accepted to be easy to detect and treat. But many patients are reporting far worse symptoms that suggest that Lyme may be a far more severe, debilitating illness than previously thought, even becoming a terminal problem in some cases, causing permanent neurological damage and even death. The problem is that many doctors claim that the symptoms are all in the patients' heads, some even going so far as to say that Lyme doesn't exist at all, that it is all purely a psychological condition.

The vast distance between the opinions of the medical establishment and the cutting edge research on Lyme is quite frightening, and while it is clear that Under Our Skin is of the opinion that Lyme is far worse than mainstream doctors admit, Wilson wisely gives voice to both sides of the argument. Using interviews with real people who have struggled with Lyme disease for many years, the documentary takes on a more personal look at how it has affected their every day lives. While the film is not particularly unique in its presentation, its examination of the personal stories of those who have fought back against Lyme and the doctors who have supported them at the risk of their own medical licenses, is what makes the film so compelling.

Sean Cobb tends to his wife Mandy Hughes as she suffers a seizure in UNDER OUR SKIN, a film by Andy Abrahams Wilson.

I had heard of Lyme disease before in connection with ticks, but I had no idea that there was such a huge medical controversy surrounding its very existence. With opinions varying so greatly on the symptoms and nature of the disease, its downright scary to think of the ramifications. Some scientists have made some startling discoveries involving Lyme and other terminal diseases such as Alzheimer's and Lou Gerhig's disease, including one who found the bacteria that causes Lyme present in 7 out of 10 Alzheimer brains.

A discovery of that nature could be a major medical breakthrough, and while one can't help but wonder if this is sound science or needless hysteria, Under Our Skin makes a very convincing case. If what it claims is true, this could be one of the greatest medical failures of all time, one that should no longer be ignored. Now that the film has given voice to those who have been previously ignored, perhaps some real change can at last be made.

GRADE - ★★★ (out of four)

UNDER OUR SKIN; Directed by Andy Abrahams Wilson; Not Rated; Now playing at the IFC Center in NYC.

Trailer: "World's Greatest Dad"

The red band trailer for Bob Goldthwait's Robin Williams vehicle, World's Greatest Dad was released today, and it actually captures the film better than I expected.



I saw the film back in April, and found it to be a very peculiar dark comedy that turns out to be very moving. But it's also a very off kilter film that would be very hard to market. The trailer makes it look more upbeat than it actually is, and tells nothing of the actual plot, but it isn't quite as misleading as the film's happy-go-lucky poster.