Some Films
"Mountain Men"
starring: Tyler Labine, Chace Crawford, Ben Cotton, Britt Irvin, Christine Willes, Paralee Cook
written and directed by: Cameron Labine
Do you ever wonder why or under what circumstances a film was given the green light and then discover a bit of nepotism in the making of the process? Here we have Tyler Labine, usually the funny, overweight, sidekick in many comedies, whose brother is the writer/director of this film, and so Tyler is thrust into the leading man role with Chace Crawford (from "Gossip Girl" fame) cast as his most unlikely brother.
This is a family dramedy that makes you wonder if the Labine brothers had some estrangement or family issues they were working out together through making this film. Anyway, the brothers in the film get stuck in the woods and set about revealing deeper aspects of themselves and their brotherly love and relationship than they thought existed.
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"Echo Park"
starring: Mamie Gummer, Anthony Okungbowa, Maurice Compte, Ricky Rico, Gale Harold, Helen Slater, Robinne Lee, Mousa Kraish
written by: Catalina Aguilar Mastretta
directed by: Amanda Marsalis
This is a beautiful, soft, quiet, understated indie film set in California's Echo Park, a hip and up-and-coming neighborhood where hipsters seem to be moving as well as out of place yuppies escaping Beverly Hills. Meryl Streep's daughter, Mamie Gummer is certainly making a name for herself, unbeknownst to all of us that she is actually connected to Streep, thanks to the different last night. Here she plays Sophie who has decided to leave Beverly Hills and her soon-to-be husband in what seems like a brief moment of boredom and also a moment of "what am I doing with my life? Am I even happy?" and she moves to Echo Park with barely anything in her possessions, so she is in need of future.
This opens up the film for the opportunity of a meet-cute, where Sophie runs into an overtly friendly Alex (Okungbowa) where they discuss their mutual love for Prince. The rebound love interest and courtship between the two seems to happen very quickly, which leads the viewer to believe it is not destined to last, especially given Sophie's boyfriend reaching out to her and you can tell she's still holding out a bit of hope that she'll figure things out and get her life back in order. Alex is a mere distraction for her, especially since he's moving, relocating to somewhere overseas. It seems perfect because neither of them can claim to be getting hurt by the other.
Sophie's journey of self-discovery is a little bit "Eat, Pray, Love" with the main focus on love. When Simon (Glen Harold) shows up in Echo Park looking for Sophie, she gives in almost instantly to his demands and requests and from their interactions you can tell that this brief stop in hipster-land has not necessarily taught her anything except carrying on an interracial relationship might prove that she's not as bad as her ridiculously overbearing mother.
The film does nothing new and only adds fuel to the fire of what people think of California and life, in general: 1) California is magic 2) break-ups suck 3) running away from your problems is the best way to attain enlightenment 4) and the people we meet during these crises are only around to serve one purpose in moving our lives forward. Not really what I want to get out of a film that should be serving up a message.
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"They Look Like People"
starring: MacLeod Andrews, Evan Dumouchel, Margaret Ying Drake
written and directed by: Perry Blackshear
This is such an incredible feature film with great characters, an interesting take on potential mental illness, and a mix of horror.
The story follows Wyatt (MacLeod Andrews), a shaggy drifter who just came out of a long relationship and randomly bumps into childhood friend Christian (Evan Dumouchel). He, too, is feeling the effects of a broken relationship, still holding on to his ex-girlfriend’s things in his tiny New York apartment. The two instantly rekindle their boys-will-be-boys dynamic, but it’s not long before Wyatt’s current state of mind is exposed as downright certifiable: he gets mysterious calls in the middle of the night, and voices speak to him of monsters who look just like people infecting human minds and preparing to wage war. Wyatt is convinced this must be true because it coincides with the supremely creepy flashbacks he has of his ex-girlfriend (presumably), and various other oddities he finds in Christian’s house, not least of which is a “rape-y” basement (as one girl in the film calls it) that becomes Wyatt’s workshop in preparing for battle.
The filmmaker doesn't offer us much in the form of background information and he seems to cut and edit in a way that makes you feel like you're missing pieces to the story, but really I think the director/writer just wants us to make it to the end, because ultimately, the story is about these two men and their friendship.
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"Not Waving But Drowning"
starring: Vanessa Ray, Megan Guinan, Lynn Cohen, Scott Bryce, Adam Driver, Isabelle McNally, Lili Reinhart, Ryan Munzert, Keith Pratt, Elizabeth Fendrick
written and directed by: Devyn Waitt
This is a beautifully understated indie/art film that becomes a very touching look at what it's like to be a teenage girl coming-of-age in New York City, when you've come there on your own to escape the small town life you don't want to doom you. And it's about the friendships you have, the friends you make, the roots you can't escape no matter how hard you try, and the roots you try to plant in the big city.
"Not Waving But Drowning" is the story of Adele, who leaves for New York City, and best friend Sara, who stays behind in their Florida hometown. It could be the stuff of well-trod cliché, but it is not. There are surprising twists and discoveries in their separate journeys as they try to retain their yin/yang friendship. Megan Guinan is wonderful as a multifaceted Sara who seems stuck in place, but might not really be so stuck. And the scene when Adele arrives in the big city is poignant, yet also very funny. Adam Driver is marvelous as the seemingly dorky, yet touchingly honest, new friend of Adele.
The girls in this film really make it an incredible picture and they really make you want to invest in their journey.
I felt like the short film "The Most Girl Part of Me" at the beginning of the film (10 minutes approximately) wasn't that necessary to include, though.
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"Gold"
starring: James Nesbitt, Maisie Williams, David Wilmot, Kerry Condon, Steve Mackintosh, David McSavage, Patrick Gibson
written and directed by: Niall Heery
I still haven't watched any of Game of Thrones, but from what I've heard, Maisie Williams quickly became a breakout star thanks to her role. She took her time off from filming the HBO show to return to her home in the United Kingdom and make this film.
Ray (David Wilmot) has seemingly spent years in a psychiatric ward, but he is better now. He returns to his home town in semi-rural Ireland to see his dying father and meet the teenage daughter Abbie (Maisie Williams) he abandoned years back, along with her mother, Alice (Kerry Condon). Abbie has grown into a pugnacious little madam, a star of track and field who has been groomed for success all her life by her hyper-competitive stepfather, Frank (James Nesbitt), who is trying to launch inspirational sports videos.
Filmmaker Niall Heery clearly seems to have enjoyed films by Wes Anderson and Alexander Payne, especially when it comes to the sad-eyed and sorry-for-himself lead male characters who seem to get caught up in their self-made trenches.
This is a movie about redemption and one man's attempt to overcome the mistakes he's made in the past and deal with his own feelings of inadequacy as a man/ex-husband/father. The film is done rather well and is it convoluted and in your face. It is funny, moving, poignant, and genuine in its approach to storytelling. The character of Ray is sympathetic.
Gold also does a wonderful job peeling back the outer layers of one man’s path towards emotional redemption, for if it’s about anything, Heery’s picture is the story of one person overcoming the demons of his past failures. Ray has to explain to Abbie that while Alice had left him a long time ago, it was he who had abandoned the family, and his responsibilities as a father.
Yet Ray is there again, in Abbie’s life, and he wants nothing more than to stay there, supporting and caring for her in whatever way he can or is able. Really, this is about as much as any child can ask of a parent, and Ray makes it clear this is something he is more than willing to provide. Being new to the whole fatherhood thing, though, means that Ray has a learning curve to contend with.
Sure, "Gold" is a comedy, but it certainly has a familial heart to it. It has a good perception on parenting, relationships, hardships, adversaries, redemption, loyalty, and hope, in the end.
starring: Tyler Labine, Chace Crawford, Ben Cotton, Britt Irvin, Christine Willes, Paralee Cook
written and directed by: Cameron Labine
Do you ever wonder why or under what circumstances a film was given the green light and then discover a bit of nepotism in the making of the process? Here we have Tyler Labine, usually the funny, overweight, sidekick in many comedies, whose brother is the writer/director of this film, and so Tyler is thrust into the leading man role with Chace Crawford (from "Gossip Girl" fame) cast as his most unlikely brother.
This is a family dramedy that makes you wonder if the Labine brothers had some estrangement or family issues they were working out together through making this film. Anyway, the brothers in the film get stuck in the woods and set about revealing deeper aspects of themselves and their brotherly love and relationship than they thought existed.
Toph (Tyler Labine) and Cooper (Crawford) haven’t seen each other for three years when Cooper returns to their remote town in British Columbia to attend their mother’s remarriage ceremony. Toph is a low-level weed dealer and part-time DJ who discovers that his girlfriend is pregnant, while Cooper is the one who got away and has a fancy job in New York, as well as a gorgeous girlfriend. Both brothers are still silently suffering the death of their father six months prior. Using a genuine-sounding excuse, Toph convinces Cooper to drive up with him to their family’s cabin in the mountains where a series of comically depicted events leaves them stranded in the wilderness and left to their own devices.
Both brothers sort of set out to prove the "fuck-up gene" will not be the determining factor in their lives, at least not anymore. It's a fight against biology and destiny, where the brother want to create and be in charge of their own destiny. Crawford and Labine do a good job convincing us they could actually be brothers just from the comical interactions and sparring with each other while they remain trapped in the Canadian mountains.
..............................................................................
"Echo Park"
starring: Mamie Gummer, Anthony Okungbowa, Maurice Compte, Ricky Rico, Gale Harold, Helen Slater, Robinne Lee, Mousa Kraish
written by: Catalina Aguilar Mastretta
directed by: Amanda Marsalis
This is a beautiful, soft, quiet, understated indie film set in California's Echo Park, a hip and up-and-coming neighborhood where hipsters seem to be moving as well as out of place yuppies escaping Beverly Hills. Meryl Streep's daughter, Mamie Gummer is certainly making a name for herself, unbeknownst to all of us that she is actually connected to Streep, thanks to the different last night. Here she plays Sophie who has decided to leave Beverly Hills and her soon-to-be husband in what seems like a brief moment of boredom and also a moment of "what am I doing with my life? Am I even happy?" and she moves to Echo Park with barely anything in her possessions, so she is in need of future.
This opens up the film for the opportunity of a meet-cute, where Sophie runs into an overtly friendly Alex (Okungbowa) where they discuss their mutual love for Prince. The rebound love interest and courtship between the two seems to happen very quickly, which leads the viewer to believe it is not destined to last, especially given Sophie's boyfriend reaching out to her and you can tell she's still holding out a bit of hope that she'll figure things out and get her life back in order. Alex is a mere distraction for her, especially since he's moving, relocating to somewhere overseas. It seems perfect because neither of them can claim to be getting hurt by the other.
Sophie's journey of self-discovery is a little bit "Eat, Pray, Love" with the main focus on love. When Simon (Glen Harold) shows up in Echo Park looking for Sophie, she gives in almost instantly to his demands and requests and from their interactions you can tell that this brief stop in hipster-land has not necessarily taught her anything except carrying on an interracial relationship might prove that she's not as bad as her ridiculously overbearing mother.
The film does nothing new and only adds fuel to the fire of what people think of California and life, in general: 1) California is magic 2) break-ups suck 3) running away from your problems is the best way to attain enlightenment 4) and the people we meet during these crises are only around to serve one purpose in moving our lives forward. Not really what I want to get out of a film that should be serving up a message.
................................................................................
"They Look Like People"
starring: MacLeod Andrews, Evan Dumouchel, Margaret Ying Drake
written and directed by: Perry Blackshear
This is such an incredible feature film with great characters, an interesting take on potential mental illness, and a mix of horror.
The story follows Wyatt (MacLeod Andrews), a shaggy drifter who just came out of a long relationship and randomly bumps into childhood friend Christian (Evan Dumouchel). He, too, is feeling the effects of a broken relationship, still holding on to his ex-girlfriend’s things in his tiny New York apartment. The two instantly rekindle their boys-will-be-boys dynamic, but it’s not long before Wyatt’s current state of mind is exposed as downright certifiable: he gets mysterious calls in the middle of the night, and voices speak to him of monsters who look just like people infecting human minds and preparing to wage war. Wyatt is convinced this must be true because it coincides with the supremely creepy flashbacks he has of his ex-girlfriend (presumably), and various other oddities he finds in Christian’s house, not least of which is a “rape-y” basement (as one girl in the film calls it) that becomes Wyatt’s workshop in preparing for battle.
The filmmaker doesn't offer us much in the form of background information and he seems to cut and edit in a way that makes you feel like you're missing pieces to the story, but really I think the director/writer just wants us to make it to the end, because ultimately, the story is about these two men and their friendship.
...............................................................................
"Not Waving But Drowning"
starring: Vanessa Ray, Megan Guinan, Lynn Cohen, Scott Bryce, Adam Driver, Isabelle McNally, Lili Reinhart, Ryan Munzert, Keith Pratt, Elizabeth Fendrick
written and directed by: Devyn Waitt
This is a beautifully understated indie/art film that becomes a very touching look at what it's like to be a teenage girl coming-of-age in New York City, when you've come there on your own to escape the small town life you don't want to doom you. And it's about the friendships you have, the friends you make, the roots you can't escape no matter how hard you try, and the roots you try to plant in the big city.
"Not Waving But Drowning" is the story of Adele, who leaves for New York City, and best friend Sara, who stays behind in their Florida hometown. It could be the stuff of well-trod cliché, but it is not. There are surprising twists and discoveries in their separate journeys as they try to retain their yin/yang friendship. Megan Guinan is wonderful as a multifaceted Sara who seems stuck in place, but might not really be so stuck. And the scene when Adele arrives in the big city is poignant, yet also very funny. Adam Driver is marvelous as the seemingly dorky, yet touchingly honest, new friend of Adele.
The girls in this film really make it an incredible picture and they really make you want to invest in their journey.
I felt like the short film "The Most Girl Part of Me" at the beginning of the film (10 minutes approximately) wasn't that necessary to include, though.
................................................................................
"Gold"
starring: James Nesbitt, Maisie Williams, David Wilmot, Kerry Condon, Steve Mackintosh, David McSavage, Patrick Gibson
written and directed by: Niall Heery
I still haven't watched any of Game of Thrones, but from what I've heard, Maisie Williams quickly became a breakout star thanks to her role. She took her time off from filming the HBO show to return to her home in the United Kingdom and make this film.
Ray (David Wilmot) has seemingly spent years in a psychiatric ward, but he is better now. He returns to his home town in semi-rural Ireland to see his dying father and meet the teenage daughter Abbie (Maisie Williams) he abandoned years back, along with her mother, Alice (Kerry Condon). Abbie has grown into a pugnacious little madam, a star of track and field who has been groomed for success all her life by her hyper-competitive stepfather, Frank (James Nesbitt), who is trying to launch inspirational sports videos.
Filmmaker Niall Heery clearly seems to have enjoyed films by Wes Anderson and Alexander Payne, especially when it comes to the sad-eyed and sorry-for-himself lead male characters who seem to get caught up in their self-made trenches.
This is a movie about redemption and one man's attempt to overcome the mistakes he's made in the past and deal with his own feelings of inadequacy as a man/ex-husband/father. The film is done rather well and is it convoluted and in your face. It is funny, moving, poignant, and genuine in its approach to storytelling. The character of Ray is sympathetic.
Gold also does a wonderful job peeling back the outer layers of one man’s path towards emotional redemption, for if it’s about anything, Heery’s picture is the story of one person overcoming the demons of his past failures. Ray has to explain to Abbie that while Alice had left him a long time ago, it was he who had abandoned the family, and his responsibilities as a father.
Yet Ray is there again, in Abbie’s life, and he wants nothing more than to stay there, supporting and caring for her in whatever way he can or is able. Really, this is about as much as any child can ask of a parent, and Ray makes it clear this is something he is more than willing to provide. Being new to the whole fatherhood thing, though, means that Ray has a learning curve to contend with.
Sure, "Gold" is a comedy, but it certainly has a familial heart to it. It has a good perception on parenting, relationships, hardships, adversaries, redemption, loyalty, and hope, in the end.
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