Lights Out

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: David F. Sandberg/Starring: Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Alexander DiPersia, Maria Bello and Billy Burke

Based on a short film by David F. Sandberg, Lights Out is the director's first full-length feature. Judging by his ability to chill and scare an audience, it's safe to say Sandberg will enjoy a substantial career as a horror film director. Though the film sometimes suffers from logic-deprivation (to be fair, so do most other horror films), one can't be hard-nosed about plausibility and logic when a filmmaker can create something eminently watchable. Unlike many horror films that slowly build suspense, Lights Out gets to the point quickly; as it has little time to waste at 82 minutes. It's supernatural antagonist is downright frightening, as is the film.

In the opening scene, we meet a businessman named Paul (Billy Burke); whose office resides in what looks like a mannequin warehouse. The mannequins' inherent creepiness creates an atmosphere of dread as Paul's assistant sees what looks like the outline of someone lurking in the shadows. She notices the shadow vanishes whenever she turns on the light but reappears when the light is off. Frightened, she alerts Paul to what she's seen, only to be brushed off. After she leaves, Paul hears sounds in the warehouse and enters it shortly thereafter to investigate. He too sees the shadowy apparition; noticing its peculiar preference for the dark. In trying to flee its malevolent aggression, the thing swipes at him, leaving a bloody gash in his leg. He manages to lock himself in his well-lit office, but seconds later, the lights flicker then go out, leaving Paul gripped with fear. The apparition appears shortly thereafter and quickly lays hold of him before leaving him gruesomely sprawled on the warehouse floor, dead. It isn't often we see a horror film introduce its villain so early but being so prompt means the audience is left with questions. Who or what is the thing that seems so pissed and what did it have against Paul? All questions are addressed in time.

The mystery of Paul's death becomes clearer in the following scenes when Rebecca (Teresa Palmer), Paul's step-daughter; visits her mother Sophie (Maria Bello). Sophie grieves over her husband's death but faces more immediate problems. Sophie resists her daughter's passionate pleas to take her medication, which prevent her precipitous fall into an emotional, depressive abyss. Meanwhile, Rebecca's half-brother Martin (Gabriel Bateman), finds himself contending with the phantasm that dispatched his father. As it threatens him nightly, keeping him awake, his school nurse notices he falls asleep in class. Rebecca becomes apprised of the problem, which leads her to proactively remove her brother from school; due to her lack of confidence in her mentally-frail mother. Realizing he needs rest but reluctant to have him stay at apartment, she and her boyfriend Bret (Alexander DiPersia) take him in after she has her own encounter with the entity at her mother's house. To her dismay, she finds the entity has invaded her own apartment.

After the entity mounts an attack in Rebecca's apartment, she discovers--after combing through files she filched from her mother--that Sophie was friends with a young girl named Diana during her stay in a mental hospital in her youth. We learn Diana was committed to the hospital after having been abused by her father. A significant indignity she suffered involved being locked in the basement, in the dark. Rebecca also learns Diana had a hideous skin condition when she arrived at the hospital. Fearing abandonment, Diana attached herself to Rebecca's mother, thereby becoming dependent on Sophie. In trying to keep Sophie from leaving the hospital, Diana tried to sabotage Sophie's therapy; her abandonment issues being quite acute.

As we find in the film, the theme of abandonment is quite strong. Most, if not all the characters, experience or feel some form of abandonment. After Diana's death, Rebecca discovers her attachment to her mother continued beyond the grave; hence her presence in the family's life. Paul's death was the result of Diana's jealousy and fear of Sophie's affections being directed elsewhere.

Child Care Services eventually shows up at Rebecca's apartment to return Martin to his mother. Having no legal alternative, Rebecca relents. Having already encountered Diana in his mother's home, the viewer may wonder why Martin accepts the case worker's demand without protest. More puzzling is his veritable calm when he's at home with his mother, who never seems to notice anything is amiss with her son (I guess her shaky mental state is a good narrative alibi). And knowing Diana is a threat to her brother, why doesn't Rebecca spend the night at her mother's place?

Diana's war against everyone not-Sophie continues and her antagonistic campaign of terror leads to a showdown with Rebecca, Martin and Bret. While staying at Sophie's house, the three are attacked individually. Bret takes flight after narrowly escaping Diana's clutches (his escape is rather cleverly executed with his car keys). Though his act seems wildly craven, Rebecca reassures Martin of his return--though she (and we) can't be sure. Diana manages to trap Rebecca and Martin in the basement. While Rebecca feeds a basement stove fire to provide crucial light, Martin finds a black light tube, which they immediately activate. The black light allows Sandberg a terrific visual opportunity, which he exploits beautifully. The light casts an eerie glow, which adds atmospheric drama to the visuals. Unfortunately for Martin and Rebecca, the black light doesn't keep Diana at bay; allowing her to grasp and lunge at the two from behind shelves. Question: if the black-light doesn't have any effect on Diana, why doesn't she just attack them directly rather than reach for them from behind a shelf?

We see Bret return with police (hooray, the cavalry!) but they are ill-prepared to deal with Diana and are dealt with themselves, forthwith. It is almost comical how long it takes for Sophie to respond to Diana's murderous mayhem but she does eventually; begging her "friend" not to harm her kids.
I won't give away the end but a tragic sacrifice is made as we learn Diana only exists because of her disturbing attachment to Sophie (geez, talk about a co-dependent!).

One could spend an hour or so pointing out the film's flaws and inconsistencies or the bewildering behavior of the characters but its strengths allow us to happily overlook its shortcomings. Sandberg shows he has a veteran horror director's touch with mood and atmosphere. For a film that is so short, exposition isn't hurried along or overlooked. He is quite comfortable with is material (as well he should be).

I was pleased the film didn't set up an obvious sequel but given Hollywood's franchise mania, I wouldn't rule it out. The film is doing well enough to keep that option open but I hope it doesn't happen. I wouldn't mind seeing Sandberg tackle something different. We'll see what they allow him to make.

Lights Out won't astonish but it will definitely entertain. It's chilling and the performances are sound, so it has nothing to be ashamed of. I found it more enjoyable than both Ghostbusters and Star Trek: Beyond, which isn't saying much but it doesn't surprise me that the film's $5 million budget pales next to two films that cost $140 and $185 million respectively. Give a hungry, talented director a small budget and more often than not he or she will never abandon your expectations.
Oh, there's that abandonment thing again.

Captain Fantastic

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Matt Ross/Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Frank Langella, Kathryn Hahn, Steve Zahn, and George MacKay

I came to Captain Fantastic; director Matt Ross' second feature film, expecting an annoying contribution to the insufferable quirky-family genre. Though I can't stomach the genre I found Ross' film to be touching at times and surprisingly engaging though the characters and situations are neatly conceived and executed. The film wraps everything in a digestible, easy-on-the-palate denouement that keeps real-life adversity at bay.

Set somewhere in present day Pacific Northwest, Captain Fantastic tells the story of a family living off the grid in their presumably edenic forest home. Ben (Viggo Morntensen), the father of six, rears his kids in an environment where food is grown and meat hunted and prepared. Reveille-like morning alarms rouse the kids for arduous, pre-meal exercise in the woods. Self-defense instruction and rock climbing round out the physical instruction while a sophisticated home-schooling system allows the kids to discuss Marx and Nabokov's Lolita. We also see the family meditating outdoors. Ben is no doomsday survivalist but more of a hippy with a curriculum whose focus is self-reliance and vigorous self-improvement. Though Ben's parenting seems unorthodox, we also see how his tough love makes the family a close knit group. During an evening around the campfire, Ben's impromptu guitar strumming inspires the others to pick up instruments, which leads to a spirited family jam.

We learn early on the mother was committed to a psychiatric hospital. We also learn Bo (George MacKay), Ben's oldest; has been hiding acceptance letters from his father from various Ivy League schools. We know his secret will only lead to discord later on, which it does.

After a trip into town aboard the family bus, Ben learns from his father-in-law Jack (Frank Langella) that his wife killed herself in the hospital. Blaming Ben for his daughter's death, he also forbids him to attend the funeral in New Mexico under the threat of arrest. He also doesn't hesitate to express his direct and forceful disdain for the way Ben raises his children.

Never sparing his children stark truths, Ben tells them that same night as they sit around the campfire that their mother is dead. Sobbing, the children ask to see their mother, only to be told they can't attend the funeral due to their grandfather's threat. Angry at their father, their pleas to see their mother's body are rebuffed until Ben defies his father-in-law's threat by setting out on the road to attend the funeral. Along the way (and throughout the film), Ben has vivid visions and dreams and memories of his wife.

While on the road, the sight of shopping malls and the endless sprawl of stores elicits Ben's critical comments about capitalism and rampant consumerism, which his kids digest and sometimes echo. We get some sense at how far removed the family is from mainstream culture during a stop at a diner. When the kids mention hot dogs, hamburgers and soda, Ben promptly leaves the diner with the family to go shopping for "real food" at a grocery store. But the shopping trip becomes a mock-military shoplifting operation that Ben refers to euphemistically as "liberating food." Why a father would allow their kids to steal food is explained later.

A sequence in the film where the family's oddball life is brought into sharp relief takes place during Ben's stop at his brother Dave's home. During a dinner with Dave (Steve Zahn), his wife Harper (Kathryn Hahn) and their two sons, Ben's youngest asks Harper if she killed the chicken she is serving. Her awkward, slightly embarrassed response later turns to indignation when Ben shares details about his wife's death. After she excuses herself from the table, Ben surprises his brother when he serves each of his kids wine. Justifying his action to his brother, Ben refers to its accepted practice in other countries.

Dave's two sons express disbelief when the Ben's children's ignorance of pop culture is made embarrassingly manifest. Later, Dave and Harper confront Ben about what they see as excessive permissiveness in his parenting. In one of the film's most startling scenes, Ben proves a point about his sophisticated parenting when he quizzes Dave and Harper's sons about the Bill of Rights (they are woefully ignorant) before doing the same with his youngest (his grasp is exceptional). Whatever value judgement the viewer assigns Ben's parenting, the scene makes a case for rigorous education.

Though the family is highly educated, the limits of Ben's instruction becomes apparent during a stop at a RV site. A young, sexy girl takes to Bo, only to discover he is appallingly ignorant about boy/girl romantic interaction. His embarrassment and humiliation prompts a confrontation with his dad, when he admits not knowing anything about things that aren't in books.

The family's arrival in New Mexico predictably leads to a confrontation between Ben and Jack about how the kids are being raised. The touchy subject of Ben's wife's will, which details her Buddhist-inspired wish to be cremated and flushed down a toilet, also becomes a heated bone of contention. Exacerbating the problem is Jack's threat of custody. But just when we think Ben's concession to his father-in-law's demand is definitive, we find the children have their own agenda.

As mentioned earlier, the ending is emotionally and narratively tidy but somehow it works, though barely. The subplot dealing with Ben discovering Bo and his wife submitted applications to universities, is also dealt with neatly. What becomes of Bo? Given Ben's parenting, his life choice is hardly surprising.

A movie like Captain Fantastic succeeds because the offbeat, unpredictable moments outweigh the sentimental and predictable. Buttressing the drama are the fine performances by Viggo Mortensen, Frank Langella, Steve Zahn and Kathryn Hahn, who give the film much needed gravitas.

Where the family ends up seems like a nod to pragmatism, which makes sense in our 21st century world. I like that the film neither condemns nor extols Ben's parenting. The seemingly irresponsible things he teaches his kids are weighed equally against the amazing lessons and skills he imparts.

Taken as a whole, the movie is quite enjoyable. Its shortcomings are minor and can be easily overlooked. It doesn't establish any great truths but its numerous quirks are appealing. Just don't think of it as a parenting Bible.

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Mandie Fletcher/Starring: Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Jane Horrocks and Julia Sawalha

Absolutely excremental.

Cafe Society

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Woody Allen/Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Steve Carell, Blake Lively, Corey Stoll, Sari Lennick, Ken Stott, Parker Posey and Jeannie Berlin

These days, I'm always prepared to write Woody off, particularly after his last two forgettable efforts; Magic in the Moonlight and Irrational Man. But with Woody, consigning him to oblivion is always a mistake, for he can still surprise, as with Blue Jasmine. I'm happy to say he has done so again with Cafe Society; his new story about ideal love and its emotional pitfalls. Though some scenes and plot points resemble moments from his cinematic past, he shows he can still write terrific dialogue and give his characters dimension and depth. In his latest, we see his characteristic charm, wit and his romantic pessimism about love but also present is his irrepressible romanticism, particularly for the city he loves most. Cafe Society is fun, funny and is irresistibly charming.

Set in 1930s', Woody narrates his own story about a young man; Bobby Dorfman (Jesse Eisenberg), who leaves Brooklyn for the sunny coast of southern California. Hoping to find a job with his wildly successful Uncle; Phil Stern (a terrific Steve Carell) in his casting agency, he stakes out temporary digs in a hotel and waits for a meeting. Lonely and hungry for female companionship, Bobby arranges for a call girl to visit his hotel room, but finds he is her very first customer. The failed encounter yields funny results.

In another scene, we see Phil hosting a swank Hollywood party in his home. Sitting poolside, Phil talks with all manner of movie industry people, dropping names of stars in nearly all his conversations.

As the story moves forward, Woody's narration remains steady, embellishing the story and providing insightful comments about the characters. We meet others, like Bobby's older brother Ben (excellent Corey Stoll), whose life in organized crime troubles his mother Rose (Jeannie Berlin). Though Rose's relationship with her husband Marty (Ken Stott) is contentious; their arguments contain some of the film's funniest lines. Another character is Bobby and Ben's sister, Evelyn (Sari Lennick), who stays in touch with her little brother via letters, which, when read; provide the film supplementary narration.

Bobby is finally granted a few minutes with his Uncle and after a what-are-you-doing-out-here probing overture, he explains his want of a change of scenery and a job in the agency. Although Phil initially mentions the mail-room, he suggests Bobby run errands for him. He then introduces Bobby to one of his secretaries; an lovely young woman named Veronica (a luminous Kristen Stewart, made more so by soft focus), or Vonnie. As Vonnie shows Bobby around, sparks crackle and glow between them. Before long, Vonnie and Bobby enjoy lunches and drinks together until one day he feels confident enough to ask her out. She tells him she is seeing someone but enjoys his friendship, which continues in spite of his rejection. Bobby (and we) learn Vonnie is one of the many young women who migrated to Tinseltown hoping to make it in the movies before becoming disillusioned.
The conversations between Vonnie and Bobby are often magical. Woody shows he can still craft intelligent dialogue that is also pleasing to the ear. Some of the best moments in the film are Bobby and Vonnie's tete a tetes.

In time, Bobby finds himself meeting his Uncle's big name associates, who bandy the names of stars and starlets about, which becomes a source of annoyance to both he and Vonnie. But life in Hollywood has a way of working on those most resistant to its charms. Vonnie herself shares an anecdote about Samuel Goldwyn and his peculiar voice.

The visuals in the Hollywood party scenes are particularly intriguing. In nearly every scene featuring an industry soiree, we see the guests dressed uniformly in khaki-color clothes. Woody's cinematographer; the famed Vittorio Storaro, casts everything in soft, golden light, as if to compete with the soft hues of khaki. The effect leaves us with something fairy-talish; a heady foray into the unreal.
Hollywood's seductive but shallow charms begin to wear on Bobby. He finds the beautiful women, stars and the lush mansions to be a fascinating curiosity but they eventually lose their charm. He begins to miss New York. Before long, he plans his return home. But complicating his idea is his relationship with Vonnie, which takes a dramatic leap from the platonic to romantic. In love and happy, Bobby plans for their marriage and their move to New York, where his brother Ben has offered him a job running his nightclub. But before Bobby's plans are consummated, the plot takes a startling twist when Bobby discovers the man Vonnie has been seeing is none other than Phil, who plans to leave his wife for her. Phil later tells her he is unable to walk away from his 25-year marriage, only to experience yet another change of heart. The situation becomes stickier when Phil and Bobby become aware of the other's interest in Vonnie. Faced with a painful decision, Vonnie chooses Phil, leaving Bobby to return to New York, alone and crestfallen.

Bobby's east-coast homecoming serves as a transition to Part II, as he leaves his Los Angeles experiences behind for his brother's nightclub, which he helps christen The Cafe Society. Bobby becomes popular with the nightclub set, which is a colorful mix of the city's upper crust society and members of New York's active social scene. Excelling at his job and taking to the club's giddy atmosphere, Bobby is able to put Los Angeles behind him.

One evening, he meets a beautiful blonde, whose name also happens to be Veronica (Blake Lively, who was kicking shark butt the last time we saw her onscreen). I found this contrivance to be a little too convenient but oh well. The two quickly fall in love, which leads to a happy courtship and marriage; helped along with a surprise pregnancy.

Of course Woody won't let us forget Vonnie, who happens to drop back into his life one evening when she and Phil appear at the nightclub. The scene where Bobby stands before their table; staring dumbstruck at Vonnie, may remind one of the scene in Crimes and Misdemeanors where Woody's character happens upon Mia Farrow's at a wedding where she is embraced by his rival. Dismayed at seeing Phil and Vonnie together, Bobby reluctantly sits down to chat but excuses himself after she tries to regale the table with a long-winded, gossipy Hollywood story; the type he and she once loathed. It isn't long before the two meet for coffee, which reawakens their latent love for one another. One knows how it will play out if one has seen enough Woody Allen films. The key word is melancholy.
A significant subplot unfolds; involving Ben and his violent, criminal past, which has a grim but almost inevitable outcome.

Woody manages his multi-character story with aplomb and like his best work, makes us care about them. He has helped create one of the movie industry's emerging great couples in Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart, whose onscreen romance marks their third together. How and why such an offbeat pairing works so well can be chalked up to the mysteries of chemistry but they are magical together; particularly in a scene where the two share an intimate moment on a Central Park bridge; the skyline a romantic tableau. Woody's other characters are wonderful, particularly Corey Stoll as Bobby's thuggish brother and Jeannie Berlin, who is quite amusing as Bobby's mother.

Woody still has it. He is still capable of making good films. Everything that characterizes his best films is conspicuous here. Terrific camera work, beautiful cinematography and brilliant performances. Let's not forget witty dialogue and great lines. My favorite: live every day as if it were the last and one day it will be true.

Cafe Society isn't a Woody masterpiece but it redeems his last two efforts and it is done well. It might not set the world of cinema alight but it is a mild intoxicant. In summers, bad Hollywood is the occupying force, but films like Woody's always come along to give us respite from the drek. Let's hope he has more of these films in his bag.

Under the Sun

Director: Vitaliy Manskiy

It's not often we see footage of life in North Korea, which makes director Vitaliy Manskiy's Under the Sun something unique in cinema. The first question one might ask is: how did Manskiy secure permission to film a North Korean family's life and how much latitude was he granted as an artist to pursue his subject? Given that the film was shot behind North Korea's iron curtain, the answers to both questions are probably less mysterious than they appear. Manskiy and his crew were never alone during filming and based on what we see, it's axiomatic that the North Korean government will probably find little about the film that is objectionable. But though government monitors followed the director closely, we still manage to see what citizens endure on a daily and yearly basis as citizens of an oppressive state and unsurprisingly, it's pretty dismal.

We see a family of three; what is maybe a typical Pyongyang, father-mother-child unit. The daughter has been chosen to participate in what is called Spartakiads; which; from what I gather, are a series of celebratory events honoring North Korean history and its leaders; past and present. Choreographed events featuring singing and dancing, musical plays and miscellaneous pageantry are among the seemingly colorful but utterly monotonous activities the country's youth must stomach to aggrandize leader Kim Jong-Un and his familial forebears.

We see scenes of the family being directed in propaganda film. In one segment, the family sits at their kitchen table while the mother exhorts the daughter to eat her kimchi as a way to extol the virtues of enjoying a national delicacy. In other segments, we see factory workers taking part in other propaganda films celebrating productivity and the virtues of collective effort.

The daughter's role in a play commemorating a war hero and a ceremony marking the children's transition to citizenship are attended by elderly government officials in military uniforms. Adults are hardly spared participation in state-choreographed spectacles, which like those for children, are conceived for the sole purpose of deifying the country's communist leaders from the last half century.

In case one thinks the children participate merrily in the state's never-ending worship of its communist past (and present), Manskiy offers us footage of a classroom of kids listening to a war veteran recount his exploits. While he blathers on, Manskiy's camera focuses on a child who struggles to keep her eyes open.

What is particularly interesting (but hardly surprising) about Manskiy's film is its lack of access to the family's private world. A country that goes to herculean lengths to protect its own image would surely never risk unsupervised filming.

What we finally see is hardly surprising, for North Korea isn't much different than its communist neighbor to the north and the Soviet Union during the last century. Everything is gray in color and in spirit and all personal expression has been purged from the culture. What's left is personified in Manskiy's shots of the massive bronze colossi representing Kim Jong il and Kim il Sung; Kim Jong-un's predecessors. It is particularly disconcerting to watch citizens disperse from the foot of said statues; looking like insects before the towering buffoons.

Manskiy's film gets as close as a documentary can to North Korean life. It is fascinating, nevertheless; for we see what ordinary citizens must endure.

Under the Sun provides us images of things we don't normally see in the media. Manskiy shows us humanity under authoritarian rule; moments even the formidable North Korean can't censor. That alone is one of its greatest attributes.

The Infiltrator

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Brad Furman/Starring: Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Diane Kruger, Juliet Aubrey, Amy Ryan, Olympia Dukakis and Benjamin Bratt

Brad Furman's The Infiltrator seems like something we might have seen back in the 90s' when films about federal agents bringing down South American drug lords were all the rage. If Furman's film feels like an anachronism in that respect, it also makes us overlook that shortcoming by being a taut thriller with excellent performances. It's in very limited release, which is a shame because unlike other films on the same subject, it makes a statement about the banking institutions and shady financiers who enabled kingpins like Pablo Escobar to flourish. I may have neglected to mention the film is based on a true story.

Set in 1980s' Miami, Bryan Cranston plays Customs official Robert Mazur, who devises a plan to cripple Escobar's operations by focusing solely on the money transactions involved in Escobar's business rather than the cocaine traffic between South America and America. Taking on a dangerous case means selecting a suitable partner for undercover operations, which brings Mazur and a colleague named Emir Abreu (an excellent John Leguizamo) together. It also means endangering his happy, stable home life and the lives of his wife Evelyn (Juliet Aubrey) and two children.

The early scenes with Mazur and Abreu are amusing for the humorous banter. One such moment takes place in a cemetery, where the two men select names from tombstones for their undercover aliases. Selecting the name Robert Musella, Mazur and Abreu begin work.

With Abreu's street connections, Mazur is able to make contact with Escobar's low level, Miami-based father and son team Gonzalo Mora senior and junior. Adopting the persona of a wealthy business man with a successful aviation business, Mazur makes a business proposal to the Moras, which entails washing vast sums of money generated by Escobar's cocaine trafficking. Wary of the offer, the Moras suggest Mazur first handle a small sum to prove his competence.

Required to join the Moras in after vice, Mazur finds himself in a stripper bar. When Mora junior buys him a sexy stripper to enjoy, Mazur balks, loathe to cheat on his wife. Puzzled, Mora asks him why he doesn't partake. Mazur tells Mora he is engaged to be married and doesn't care to jeopardize his relationship. Mazur manages to narrowly extricate himself from the sticky situation, though the mention of a fiancee adds a wrinkle to his Robert Musella charade.

Annoyed that the mention of a fiancee necessitates actually finding a female agent willing to join the operation, Mazur's no-nonsense boss, Bonni Tischler (Amy Ryan) introduces a young, beautiful woman named Kathy Ertz (Diane Kruger) as his bride to be. Abreu's reaction to seeing Ertz enter the room is priceless. After Abreu quizzes Mazur and Ertz about marital details to keep the agent's stories mutually consistent, the investigation continues.

Fitted with a lavish home and the trappings of luxurious lifestyle, Mazur and Ertz go to work following the trail of money laundering. Along the way, they meet bankers and money men from several nations; all willing to accommodate Mazur and his money laundering schemes. Mazur and Ertz also come into contact with another of Escobar's key personnel; Javier Ospina (Yul Vazquez); a sexually carnivorous dandy who makes a pass at Mazur, only to be aggressively rebuffed.

Seeking higher-ups in the Escobar organization, Mazur pursues Escobar's top money man Roberto Alcaino (Benjamin Bratt). Mazur undergoes a harrowing ordeal, which includes watching a man get shot by Escobar's men, to gain access to Alcaino. Upon making Alcaino's acquaintance, Ertz proves herself to be a convincing fiancee when she charms both Alcaino and his wife Gloria (Elena Anaya). Growing ever closer to the Alcainos; the deception begins to take on a life of its own as Ertz and Mazur begin socializing with the couple and forming a friendship. To make matters worse, Mazur and Ertz's faux-marriage becomes a little confusing as the stresses of the operation bring them closer together.

Mazur's undercover work begins take its toll on his marriage and family life as his wife suspects an affair. Evelyn is subjected to a ignominious experience when she and her husband step out for their anniversary dinner, only to run into Mora Sr. at the restaurant. In danger of blowing his cover, Mazur pretends his wife is actually his secretary and the dinner her birthday celebration. When the anniversary cake is delivered to the table, Mazur subjects the waiter to a humiliating divo exhibition that leaves Mora grinning and his wife silently aghast. His wife's dismayed reaction on the ride home is one of the more memorable moments in the film.

Everything comes to a head during Mazur and Ertz's faux wedding; where several of Escobar's associates, including Alcaino and his wife, as well as international bankers and money men, are lured into a bust. For Mazur and Ertz, watching the mass arrest go down is only a partially satisfying. The arrest leaves the Alcainos feeling betrayed while Mazur and Ertz can't help feeling treacherous.

Though the film is based on fact, elements reminded me of Donnie Brasco, including the scene where Mazur tees off on the waiter to deflect suspicion and the final scene, where the hero betrays his nemesis. But the film manages to succeed on its own terms.

I can't say enough about the exceptional performances. Cranston is especially good at capturing Mazur's conflicted feelings toward his job and his wife and the inherent fear that comes with risking his life. Bratt makes an intimidating underworld figure charming and worthy of the audience's sympathy. Leguizamo may not have Cranston's screentime but he is every bit as good while Kruger more than holds her own against the leading man.

Furman does well managing tension and drama and more than makes up for his earlier works; Lincoln Lawyer and Runner, Runner

Furman's film is unfortunate enough to open the same week as Ghostbusters so it will wander about the few theaters in which it is currently playing until it is assigned oblivion. For those who care to see it, fear not; nothing truly fades if streaming has a say.

Ghostbusters

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Paul Feig/Starring: Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth, Ed Begley, Jr., Charles Dance, Cecily Strong and Andy Garcia

So along comes the Ghostbusters reboot with its mostly female cast. Never has a movie been dissed and hissed more prior to its release. The internet has been rife the last year with anti-Ghostbusters diatribes and hate campaigns, particularly after the trailer became accessible. The question, which seems more rhetorical now, is: does the movie deserve the venom, the vitriol and contempt fans of the original have reserved for this iteration? No. But that doesn't mean it's worth a plug nickel either. At the risk of incurring the scorn and wrath of the internet, I have to say the idea of having an all-female cast wasn't unsound but the original Ghostbusters isn't just any movie. It's a comedy classic and the beloved of millions (including myself), who don't want to see an inferior reboot sully the original's sacred aura. Maybe I'm rhapsodizing, but you get the point.

While this version offers a few chuckles and an okay plot, it is also stands undistinguished among the summer's other bummers. It doesn't hurt that the production featured director Paul Feig; who lent his talents to two terrific comedies featuring female leads: Bridesmaids and Spy. But lots of CGI and some intermittently amusing repartee couldn't free the film from the sticky goo (as we see copiously in the movie) of mediocrity. A simple question might be: did this really have to be made? Does this mean other movie classics with male casts will now be re-imagined with women? What's next, a distaff The Dirty Dozen? Reservoir Dogs? The Good, The Bad and The Ugly? Brothers and sisters, I've learned anything is possible.

Kristen Wiig plays Erin Gilbert; a professor at Columbia hoping to secure tenure though an embarrassing book she co-wrote with a friend on the paranormal has resurfaced on Amazon, which threatens her academic career. Gilbert seeks out her former collaborator and friend, who is head of a scientific research department at a small college. She finds her co-author, Abbie Yates (Melissa McCarthy) in her lab with her assistant; a tech nerd named Jillian (Kate McKinnon). Gilbert scolds her erstwhile friend while Yates dredges up old grievances. As the two women bicker, a visitor interrupts with a request for an investigation into a ghost sighting. Yates and Jillian depart eagerly while Gilbert, ever the skeptic, follows along reluctantly. Though the malevolent apparition makes a believer out of Gilbert, the video of the incident makes its way to YouTube, where it is mocked and derided. Gilbert is subsequently dismissed from her job but joins Yates and Jillian in a new scientific venture investigating paranormal claims.

After the three women find their prospective headquarters in a firehouse too pricey, they settle for a place above a Chinese restaurant. Before long, an MTA worker named Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) arrives at their office; seeking their help in solving the mystery of a ghost who menaces the city subway system. After capturing the ghost, Tolan makes a plea to join the their group, which they accept. Though a proper name for their organization eludes them, a derogatory comment on the television referring to them as Ghostbusters inadvertently provides a moniker. Tolan borrows a hearse from her uncle, which becomes their means of transportation (replete with the now famous logo). The women also take on a beefcake receptionist named Kevin (Chris Hemsworth), who Gilbert can't seem to resist.

Meanwhile, a wacko named Rowan North (Neil Casey) has been busy skulking about the city, involved in his own activities connected to the paranormal. Though we know his agenda, who and what he is is divulged later.

The Ghostbusters first assignment is to investigate a haunted concert hall, which finds them face to face with a large, ectoplasmic, green dragon the audience thinks is part of the show. Using the particle accelerators developed by Jillian, they blast away at it in vain.

It isn't long before the Ghostbusters learn of North and his plans to open a portal to the ghost world, which will bring about a ghost apocalypse. The Ghostbusters are summoned by the Mayor (Andy Garcia) and his assistant Jennifer Lynch (Cecily Strong) to deal with the problem, which leads to a big, CGI-laden showdown.

Though the characters and plot particulars are somewhat different from the original, we still know where the story is headed. In spite of some able comediennes, who are all funny in their own way, they can't make the material more than just a little amusing. This version can't stimulate guffaws the way the original could and did. McCarthy and Wiig shoulder most of the comedic load though they get solid contributions from McKinnon and Jones. Hemsworth is the attractive, bubble-headed receptionist (a character type once reserved for women but now open to men) who fails to generate any laughs.

Why doesn't this movie work? I could spend an afternoon addressing that question but it's just too involved. I've already cited one mistake, which is rebooting something that shouldn't have been rebooted. Another are the gags, which just aren't that funny. And the omnipresent slime, which was used to great comic effect in the original, is wildly overdone here. The scene where Yates first tries the particle accelerator (or whatever it is) and is bounced around an alley is okay but again, it rouses a smile rather than a hearty laugh.

The cameos are fun but rather than just paying homage to the original characters, their presence made me long for the first movie. Some ghoulies from the original make an appearance as does the firehouse the team eventually inhabits. But the familiar faces and places just seem like nostalgia.

In case you're wondering, the question of whether a sequel is in the works can be answered after the credits conclude. Being that movies no longer need be good to spawn sequels, even this flimsy flick can't be dismissed as a one off. Rest assured the public's violent antipathy to the making of this film will hardly dissuade the studio from green-lighting another.

I've already forgotten most of the film, which is a blessing. Can't anyone make a passably entertaining summer blockbuster anymore? Guardians of the Galaxy 2; where art thou?

Justin Timberlake and the Tennessee Kids Concert Film (unofficial title)

Director: Jonathan Demme

Though the film is slated for a Fall release, I recently had the good fortune to see renowned director Jonathan Demme’s latest concert documentary, which features Justin Timberlake and his band, the Tennessee Kids. The screening was a top secret affair being that the film is a work in progress. Though the subject matter was also supposed to be a mystery to the audience, IMDB is terrible at keeping secrets. Many audience members, including myself, were hardly kept in suspense.

I had reservations about seeing the film. My musical tastes and prejudices precluded me from ever taking NSYNC, Timberlake's former boy-band and his solo work seriously. So I wondered why Demme; who gave us what I consider the quintessential concert film: Stop Making Sense, would fritter his time and talent on a performer I summarily dismissed as a fluff merchant years ago.
But after seeing the film, I can honestly say I was shocked and delighted to find the documentary is electrifying, absorbing and a significant contribution to the concert film genre. Is it as good as Stop Making Sense? At the risk of making a heretical statement, I will say yes, it is. If you find my assessment shocking, then all I can say is; wait until you see his new film. I don’t know if the film made me appreciate the music, but it convinced me Timberlake is a performer par excellence.
I think the label concert film does the film an injustice. I didn’t feel I saw a film about a concert but a concert itself. Who better to give us the experience than Demme, who left us feeling we had shared the stage with The Talking Heads.

To give us the experience of a live show, Demme doesn’t bog down his film with talking heads (the other kind) who might distract us from the sensual delights the concert affords. Demme gets to the point, tout suite. He shows us we’re in Las Vegas, then shows Timberlake arriving by Escalade then takes us inside the arena where we are promptly introduced to his band and dancers, or I should say they introduce themselves to us. We see the band in stage costume--black tuxes for the men; black dresses for woman and sexy unisex, tux-like outfits for the dancers. With no time for the film--or the band--to dawdle, we see Timberlake gather his fellow performers for a pre-show pep talk before cutting to a shot of him standing below the stage while the crew awaits the cue to send him upward on a lift.

The pulse quickening sound of the roaring crowd is highly audible, even below the stage. We see Timberlake and his band rise simultaneously while the crowd expresses its riotous approbation. The show begins.

An expert at capturing the energy of live shows, Demme keeps the camera close to the stage and the performers and of course Timberlake is never far from his frames. One may not be prepared for the visceral impact of Timberlake’s live show. Demme prefers to keep it loud but the music is accompanied by sensational choreography; a tight band and a dazzling visual show. What looked like a polygonal backdrop was actually translucent; allowing lights to shine through. It also served as an ad hoc video screen. The laser lights are almost overwhelming but are nevertheless an exceptional feature. But foremost in the concert--behind the visually arresting flash and dazzle, is the music. Timberlake could probably get away with dance moves and lip-syncing and the smoke and mirrors of a blinding light show but he doesn’t cut corners. He and the Tennessee Kids work hard to make music, which doesn’t let up during the film’s 90 minute running time.

Timberlake’s voice is stronger than I anticipated while he and his dancer’s moves are precise and well choreographed. His generosity toward his band is commendable; everyone has a moment (or moments) to shine.

The fact that I know or knew none of Timberlake's songs beforehand seemed irrelevant. Unfamiliarity allowed for serendipity. For Demme, prior exposure to an artist’s music isn’t a problem either. One's not knowing The Talking Heads' music would not make Stop Making Sense any less exhilarating. The energy of Timberlake’s music and the band's almost perpetual kineticism call to mind Demme's masterpiece.

Demme understands the ecstatic potential of music. I don't think its hyperbolic to say his film will leave one feeling euphoric or in awe. Others might feel the loud music and stunning stage show to be an assault on the senses. A woman I know who also saw the film found the light show too much to bear. Be warned; Demme’s film reaches for maximum, sensual impact. Is it too much? You be the judge, but I will say that another half hour of the film just might have been. Of course this isn't a final cut so who knows what or how much will be jettisoned?

Over the closing credits, we see the show being slowly assembled on the arena floor. It’s an interesting choice to have the assembling process follow the concert. The counter-chronological effect is terrific. We also see a time-lapse of stage coming together. It's a clever end to an astounding show and film. My suggestion to Jonathan Demme about editing: don’t change a thing.

The quality of Demme’s narrative films have declined in recent years (Ricki and the Flash was inexcusable) but his music documentaries are as alive and inspired as ever. I would have never expected to be writing a glowing review of a documentary featuring Justin Timberlake but here it is. Demme's talent for documenting concerts is incomparable. I’m beginning to think Demme could make a concert about a Bay City Rollers tribute band riveting. Let's hope we never see that kind of show. Let's just be grateful for what he's accomplished here.

The Innocents

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Anne Fontaine/Starring: Lou de Laage, Agata Buzek, Agata Kulesza, Vincent Macaigne and Katarzyna Dabrowska

Luxembourgish director Anne Fontaine's searing, new period drama; The Innocents examines complex, moral choices facing a Polish monastery in the months after World War II. The nuns' faith and sacred vows are severely challenged in the aftermath of brutal violation. Fontaine's film invites the audience to contemplate the moral implications of actions taken by a mother superior to protect her fellow sisters. The film is unsparingly stark but its power is beyond question; leaving the audience to consider how horrors visited upon humans sometimes trigger reflexive acts of self-preservation, which can be extreme and commensurately violent. Fontaine's film resonates. Its power is partly derived from its haunting images, riveting performances and a story that is both visceral and dark.

Lou de Laage (from the film Breathe) plays Mathilde Beaulieu; a French Red Cross medical volunteer serving in Poland, six months after World War II. Though her work keeps her highly occupied, she is called upon by a nun named Maria (Agata Buzek) from a nearby monastery. Though Mathilde is forbidden to leave her post, she finds she cannot resist Maria's insistent pleas. In a prior scene, we heard the anguished wails of a female voice in the convent during prayers. Though her fellow sisters are able to ignore the sounds of suffering, Maria cannot. Mathilde agrees to visit the monastery in the evening after her shift while Maria must resort to surreptitious means to allow the young, French woman on the premises. Knowing the mother superior forbids any outside intervention in monastery affairs, Maria risks punitive measures for allowing Mathilde inside.

Upon arrival, Maria directs Mathilde to a room where a nun rests on a bed. It's immediately obvious the nun lying on her back is very pregnant. Surprised though purposeful, Mathilde informs Maria and her fellow sisters that a breach birth will be necessary. She works quickly and before long, a healthy baby is brought forth from the delirious mother's womb.

Mathilde tells Maria she must return with Penicillin, which the nun forbids; fearing the mother superior will discover the French Red Cross worker has been on the premises. Mathilde convinces her otherwise.
In her exchanges with Maria, Mathilde learns the monastery was occupied by Russian soldiers during Poland's liberation from the Nazis. She also learns seven nuns were violated by Russian soldiers, leaving them with child.

When Mathilde returns the next night, an incident inside the monastery brings her to the attention of the mother superior (Agata Kulesza; seen previously in the film Ida), who is angry for her intrusion but overlooks it. The mother superior explains the nun's delicate situation to Mathilde. She mentions how the monastery was first terrorized by the Nazis before the Russians followed suit. The mother also tells Mathilde the monastery's secret must remain, lest they be subjected to humiliation, shame and possible eviction. Mathilde understands keeping the public ignorant of the nun's ignominious condition is the mother superior's moral imperative.

But as Mathilde risks her superior's wrath by spending time at the convent, she also becomes involved with a Red Cross doctor named Samuel (Vincent Macaigne), who complicates her nighttime excursions to the monastery. Mathilde's relationship with Samuel is a subplot that adds little to the overall story though he does play a key part in the narrative later in the film.

The film takes a darker and more harrowing turn when Mathilde is almost raped at a Soviet checkpoint and we learn the mother superior's intentions to give the babies up for adoption are fraught with disturbing motives. Her secret actions come to light when a nun named Sofia discovers her family never received her newborn. In a scene sure to shock, we see exactly how the mother superior addresses the baby problem without the public discovering the monastery's grim secret. Though her efforts to protect the nun's secrets are ostensibly altruistic; her actions compromise her vows and piety. The mother superior is one of the more fascinating characters in the story. Her well-meaning attempt to help the nuns is actually a bleak application of utilitarian ethics.

Fontaine gives the audience an opportunity to know some of the expectant nuns in the story. One tells Mathilde she has no intention of keeping her vows and is eager to leave the monastery for her boyfriend. Another experiences overpowering maternal love, in spite of her vows, as she gazes at her baby.

As the monastery becomes dangerously close to being exposed, the nuns hatch a plan that involves the town orphans that will provide them a plausible alibi for having babies on the premises and the means to keep their newborns.

If the ending seems upbeat, there is much tragedy in the story; particularly for the mother superior; whose conscience will most likely never recover from her sad, unforgivable actions.

Fontaine's sensitivity for her characters is astonishing. She draws tremendous, nuanced performances from her cast. Particularly fine are Lou de Laage, Agata Kulesza and Agata Buzek.

The title is wonderfully ambiguous, for it applies to most of the characters; young and old. Everyone in the film is innocent in some manner and at some time. Even the nuns who are to bear children; for the concept of motherhood is alien to them. They are also naifs who know little of mother superior's sinister intentions.

The Innocents is quite a film. It may leave one thinking about the story's philosophical and moral implications and the fascinating relationships between the nuns and Mathilde, which are intriguingly intricate. Though the nuns are separated from the secular world; cloistered behind holy walls; the film effectively shows what happens when that barrier is shattered or at least made permeable. What's left is their humanity, tragic and triumphant.

Miss Sharon Jones!

Director: Barbara Kopple

You may notice the exclamation point after the title in master documentarian Barbara Kopple's latest film; Miss Sharon Jones!. Trust me; after seeing her film on the electrifying R&B and funk singer, you may feel no other punctuation could possibly apply. Knowing next to nothing about Jones' life and career (at least before the film), I can only say I felt shame for my ignorance.
Kopple's film is about many things; Jones' music, her relationship with her band and her struggle to overcome early career music industry apathy. But the film is also about her greatest obstacle: overcoming pancreatic cancer; which threatened(s) her life and a career she worked hard to establish and her relationships with those who helped her through her darkest hours. The film is moving and though it may elicit some tears, it is never sentimental.

With Kopple's unobtrusive camera, the viewer is granted intimate access into Jones' world; a hectic blend of rehearsing, gigging and tending to her precarious health.

We learn early in the film about Jones' musical career prior to her work with her band, the Dap Kings. We see her performing for weddings and hear her speak of how music industry people dismissed her in the 1980s' for lacking a marketable image. Standing before the threshold of success, Jones' stage four pancreatic cancer not only threatens her life and career, but significantly alters the former while impeding the latter. In an early scene, the sight of Jones' hair being sheared to free her scalp from what she's lost to chemo is given a positive spin when she notices her head's lovely shape. Jones' optimism in the face of a grim illness says much about her.

Following Jones to and from her hospital visits, we meet her doctor and her nutritionist, who was instrumental in changing the singer's eating habits. Jones' taste for southern cooking, which includes pork sandwiches, is replaced by healthy shakes and more sensible fare.

Jones tells about her early life in Augusta, Georgia, where she was thrust into the role as the family caretaker. A scene where Jones walks her childhood neighborhood sheds light on the racism she endured in her younger years. She recalls a racist store owner who referred to black children as "niglets," and who served them stale and inedible candy.

Relocating to New York City, Jones pursued her music further and eventually formed her band; The Dap Kings. Kopple's film doesn't delve into the band's history; the story stays close to its main subject.

As the narrative unfolds, we become well acquainted with Jones' equanimity and ferocious optimism. To Jones, her illness is just a fact of life and her chemo treatments a routine. One sees the effects her infectious personality has on those around her as her manager, band-mates, personal assistant and nutritionist become a kind of surrogate family. Jones' emotional bond with each is deep and powerful. One of those with whom she shares a particularly strong bond is her manager; whose steadfast loyalty is both professional and personal.

We see the impact of Jones' illness on her career and her band. Tour dates are cancelled, which places a tremendous financial burden on certain band-members, whose only income is their music. But in spite of their hardships, the band is always empathetic and caring.

Talk of an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres Show becomes a reality, as do subsequent appearances on Jimmy Fallon and David Letterman.

Kopple doesn't treat Jones' music or her dynamic stage performances lightly. Known as the "Female James Brown," we see how Jones' powerful, soulful voice and physical energy make her presence arresting. The blues, gospel, funk and soul influences in her music are readily apparent. We find a clue to the inspiration for her fiery performances in a scene that takes place during a Sunday service. Spiritually overcome, Jones offers ecstatic testimony before the congregation. Seeing how Jones is emotionally and spiritually transported, it's hard not to draw a parallel with her stage performances; which are no less riveting.

Jones' final chemo treatment and an operation to remove tumors create narrative suspense late in the film. Though the news is good, we see that it is very difficult to completely eradicate the cancer. Nevertheless, the good news is welcome relief for all.

A concert at Beacon Theater in New York City provides further suspense. Will Jones have the stamina to perform after her slow recovery? The sight of Jones hanging her in head in acute anxiety as she is being introduced is one of the film's most poignant moments. Though she warns the audience she might not be at her best, her voice still soars while her body's natural kineticism takes over. Even a moment where Jones forgets the lyrics to a song doesn't slow her or the show. Her concerns about being physically able to complete a tour are laid to rest as we see the numerous concert dates listed on the screen thereafter.

Kopple; an Albert Maysles' protege, learned much from the master documentarian on filming personalities. Like Maysles, Kopple maintains an unobtrusive but effective presence, which allows her to capture Jones in all her unguarded and intimate moments. Jones has much to contend with and we see it much of it in the film. Her thermic essence, and the passion in her music, come through beautifully.

Jones' story doesn't have a happy ending. A relapse is entirely possible but she hasn't let that variable stop her from making music or touring. Jones is emotionally and spiritually armored but as we see in the film, even she has her moments of doubt and frustration. Nevertheless, the woman and her music persist.

Swiss Army Man

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert/Starring: Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe and Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Swiss Army Man is odd; no doubt about it. It is unpredictable, fun, amusing but also infuriating at times. The story is deceptively simple but its plot is hardly complicated. If you demand your movies be tethered to realism, this ain't your flick. Depending on your taste and expectations, this film will either be great fun or unending tedium. It exceeded my expectations but with some objective distance, much of its charm and off-the-wall humor will almost certainly evaporate. If my opinion of the movie seems decidedly noncommittal, it's because I can't seem to completely make up my mind about it.

Paul Dano plays Hank; a young man who is stranded, presumably on an island, though the place is hardly tropical and the environs seem strangely Pacific Northwest. As Hank, ragged and desperate, stands atop a plastic cooler with a noose around his neck; ready to consummate his suicide, he sees a body washed up on the beach. Suddenly Hank is gripped with curiosity and hope. He calls out even as his feet dangle precariously above the ground. A fortunate snap of his makeshift noose cancels his suicide, which frees him to investigate the body.

He finds the body belongs to a young man (Daniel Radcliffe), whose eyes seem lifeless though his body shows signs of life. How Hank determines this is given away in the trailer. All I will say about it is that it involves flatulence. As the audience will soon discover, flatulence plays a significant role in the film; it becomes a strange tool Hank exploits deftly (don't ask). Soon Hank discovers the washed up body has other attributes, which may not qualify him as a superhero but prove useful, nonetheless.

Hoping the young man will help him get off the island, Hank drags him to shelter inside a cave. When the heretofore mute young man actually speaks, Hank is horrified but also delighted that Manny, as he is subsequently called, is alive and capable of speech.

As Manny slowly comes to life and conversation, we learn little about his past or how he washed up on the island but we learn much about Hank. In Hank's possession is his cellphone, which features a picture of a beautiful, young woman Manny finds alluring. Wanting to share her identity with his new friend, Hank tells Manny the woman is someone he saw on the bus every morning but never had the courage to speak to. Manny becomes infatuated with the girl and before long, Hank makes a mock-up of a bus with debris and junk found on the island and even dresses himself to resemble the woman for Manny's delectation.

As the story moves along, it remains unclear just where Hank is stranded and if he is really stranded at all. The sheer ubiquity of human garbage makes Hank's claim about needing rescue suspect. One begins to wonder if Manny is actually real or just Hank's mental projection.

But in the meantime, Hank (and we) become acquainted with Manny's multi-talents. Utilizing Manny's flatulence, the two men are able to leave the island, motorboat style, with Hank riding his friend's back. How well one is attuned to the depiction of bodily functions in movies will determine how and if one finds this scene (and all the scenes involving flatulence) funny or just plain juvenile. They arrive at a place that looks pretty much like the place they left, which supports the idea of the island as a state of mind rather than a literal, physical place.

Hank also finds Manny's talents extend to dispensing water, like a drinking fountain, firing makeshift projectiles from his mouth and firing a grappling hook from his throat (again, don't ask; you have to see it for yourselves), among others.

It becomes apparent as we move further that the story isn't really about the two men but Hank's existential problems he faces in life, which include an unhappy relationship with his father and his inability to deal with his feelings.

The story reaches some kind of resolution when the two men discover civilization is literally beyond the next hill. They turn up in the yard of the woman in the cellphone photo (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who has been in some very interesting films of late), who is naturally aghast to see Hank and his shabby appearance. We see that the young woman has a family and a suburban home, which makes her inaccessible to Hank. Shortly thereafter, the two men become a news item, which brings Hank's father to the scene.

Though the denouement is positive for Hank, the mystery of Manny's real identity eludes everyone, as he vanishes as quickly as he arrives. It doesn't take a genius to see Manny is an allegorical figure and a manifestation of Hank's better angels or psyche or however the viewer chooses to see him.

How all this plays and how well the filmmakers sell the movie's premise is partly contingent on the performances of its two principle actors. Paul Dano excels at playing emotionally or psychically wounded oddballs and is quite exceptional here. Radcliffe is no less odd and no less affecting. One can give him credit for being a good sport; playing a character with off-color physical attributes is probably a challenge.

The Daniels; as the writer/director team call themselves (Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), have brought something out of the ordinary to summer cinema. With Independence Day stinking up the multiplex, it's nice to have something as strange as Swiss Army Man as a unique alternative.

I didn't love The Daniels' film but it left me guessing, which is always a quality worth paying for. We'll see if the film endures.

Les Cowboys

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Thomas Bidegain/Starring: Francois Damiens, Finnegan Oldfield, Ellora Torchia, Agatha Dronne, Mounir Margoum, John C. Reilly and Iliana Zabeth

Thomas Bidegain, writer of Rust and Bone and A Prophet, makes his directorial debut with Les Cowboys, which is based on John Ford's classic western The Searchers. Unlike Ford's old American west setting, Bidegain's story takes place in modern day France and instead of Comanches as villains, we have a young woman abducted by what appear to be Muslims. Though many aspects of Bidegain's film depart from the original story, the obsessive search that characterized Ford's film remains.
Bidegain's film is unsentimental, often gritty and a powerful portrayal of how two men's indefatigable efforts to find a family member leads them down a destructive path.

Francois Damiens plays Alain Balland; a husband and a father of two whose fascination with American cowboy culture draws him and his family to a fair where cowboy hats and boots, jeans and line-dancing are the order of the day. During the fair, Alain and his wife are unable to find their daughter Kelly (Iliana Zabeth). They search frantically, only to come away empty. Finding local law enforcement to be hopelessly ineffectual, Alain initiates his own search. Aware that her Muslim boyfriend Ahmed may be connected to her abduction, Alain follows a lead to a Gypsy camp; a place where she is rumored to be staying. His disregard for danger nearly nearly costs him his life when he angrily storms the camp, only to find his daughter has vanished.

Alain's search has its costs as his family life begins to suffer. He learns his wife is seeing another man while his son Georges refuses to join his father. The film takes a tragic turn when Alain falls asleep at the wheel while driving on the freeway one night. The story cuts abruptly and without a preparatory transition to a time several years in the future as we see Georges as a young man. Though Alain is gone, his obsession to find Kelly lives on in Georges as he discovers his sister may be in Pakistan. Georges embarks on a dangerous mission to find his sister.

In Pakistan, he meets a mysterious American (John C. Reilly) who specializes in finding people for a price though his operational methods seem more CIA. In spite of Georges' misgivings, the American's command of the native tongue and his willingness to help find Kelly make him the best option in a bad situation.

A subsequent scene where the men ride into a town on horseback may put one in a cowboy frame of mind.

Though the American's intentions seem sincere, his agenda leaves Georges naturally wary. When the American excuses himself to talk to Pakistani contacts, Georges happens to see Kelly's boyfriend Ahmed (Mounir Margoum). He immediately arms himself with the American's pistol then tails him, hoping to to be led to his sister. He follows him into his house but instead of finding Kelly, he happens upon Ahmed's wife Shazhana (Ellora Torchia), who becomes frightened at the sight of the intruder armed with a pistol. Ahmed appears, recognizes Georges and reaches for a gun, but is slow to draw. Georges kills him and tries to escape, only to be set upon by neighbors and villagers, who beat him severely. Georges ends up jail, as does Shazhana, who is accused of collaborating in her husband's death. The American shows up and though it appears he will negotiate Georges' release, he only haggles to have his handgun returned to him; ignoring his friend completely.

Just as it seems both Georges and Shazhana will meet respective executions, representatives from the French embassy intervene. Fearing Shazhana will be killed, Georges arranges for her release and asylum in France, for returning home means certain death.
Together they leave Pakistan for France but not before Shazhana informs Georges that Ahmed divorced Kelly after an unhappy marriage. Feeling responsible for ruining her life, Georges becomes Shazhana's caretaker by default; becoming her provider in all but name.

The racism she experiences in France is particularly virulent. We see an instance of post-9/11 animosity during a visit to the cowboy fair. Shazhana wears a head covering while demonstrating her riding prowess but is set upon afterward by an angry French woman, who tries to tear the garment off her head.

The film leaps ahead to the future again as we see Shazhana and Georges; happily married with a kid. I liked the irony of Georges coming away from Pakistan with a Muslim woman; an unexpected development in the narrative. His life becomes something not unlike his sister. But he finds his burning desire to find Kelly has yet to ebb when he discovers his sister is living in Antwerp. The final scene is quite powerful and notable for its lack of dialogue.

Unlike The Searchers, Bidegain's film features two characters whose lives are changed irrevocably by a search for a family member. Les Cowboys also features an ending that is hardly heroic and upbeat. There is no John Wayne machismo here, only the pursuits of two desperate, naive men. Like Ford's classic, the abductee is a willing captive but unlike the American version, Bidegain's conclusion is more pessimistic.

Bidegain has a natural, deft touch with the actors. Francois Damiens gives a taut, sympathetic performance, as does Finnegan Oldfield, who nearly steals the show. O'Reilly's role is slight but he ensures we remember his small part.

I really liked Bidegain's film but can't say I absolutely loved it. It is moving but not masterful. But it comes close to being so. At the heart of both films is the issue of racism. Ethan Edwards' vendetta against the Comanche is echoed in Alain and Georges' desire to "rescue" Kelly from her Muslim marriage.

I think his decision to retell The Searchers and set it in modern day France was gutsy. I think it works and it works well.

The Legend of Tarzan

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: David Yates/Starring: Alexander Skarsgard, Margot Robbie, Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz, Djimon Hounsou, Jim Broadbent and Ben Chaplain

If you're like me, you might be wondering why the world needs another Tarzan flick but after seeing director David Yates' The Legend of Tarzan I wondered: why does the world need another Tarzan flick? I still have yet to see versions superior to the Johnny Weismuller films though I kind of liked Christopher Lambert's Tarzan in the early 80s'. I think a 50 year moratorium on Tarzan films is in order.
I thought a fine cast might make for a fun time but no, not even Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz or Jim Broadbent could make this CGI snooz-er-roo watchable. Yes, it is a bore though maybe those who find the sight of a ripped Alexander Skarsgard a sight to ogle will get a charge out of watching Yates' pointless dud. I wish I could say Margot Robbie's comely form compensated me but her erotic potential was sadly neutralized. It's understandable. After-all, this is family entertainment but I can't recall a Jane ever looking (and sounding) so plain and un-erotic.

In order for the story to be relevant in the 21st century, the film is heavily politicized, as it rails against the evils of 19th century colonialism in Africa and pushes a subtle message about nature.

We learn in the beginning of the film about how Africa was being carved up by the European powers in the 1880s'. Congo was claimed by Belgium for its mineral wealth and diamonds but King Leopold discovered exploiting the country's resources to be a drain on his own country's coffers.

John Clayton (Alexander Skarsgard); who we come to know as Tarzan in a series of formative-year flashbacks, has since returned to England and been re-assimilated as a gentleman. Clayton is asked by King Leopold to lead an expedition into the Congo. Though his identity as Tarzan is unbeknownst to the general public, his American friend George Washington Williams (Samuel L. Jackson) is well aware of his alter-ego. Williams urges his reluctant friend to go. Joining him is wife Jane (Margot Robbie) and Williams himself. Throughout the film, we learn how Clayton's parents perished in an African jungle while their infant son was adopted by an ape. The film backtracks intermittently to show us Clayton/Tarzan at different periods in his life as he grows strong and ape-like in his former jungle home.

Meanwhile, King Leopold's unsavory envoy to the Congo; Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz) leads his own expedition into the country's heart to plunder its natural wealth. He and his troops are set upon by a tribe and its Chief; Mbonga (Djimon Hounsou), who are very aware of what Rom and his men are after. Rather than slaughtering the Europeans, the chief makes a deal: he will shower Rom with diamonds if he will capture Tarzan, who was responsible for Mbonga's son's death. Rom accepts Mbonga's offer and sets out to capture his prey.

As Tarzan reacquaints himself with his former arboreal life and home, he re-establishes his relationship with the animals and his environment while Williams keeps to his side and tries to keep up. Jane is ultimately captured to lure Tarzan into Rom's clutches when the envoy learns his target is conducting his own expedition.

As we might expect from any Tarzan film, the action scenes consist of swinging about the jungle, fighting Rom's soldiers and calling on his animal friends to help him in his battles. In a scene where our heroes are hopelessly outnumbered by Leopold's troops, a stampeding crush of wildebeest serve as Tarzan's army. We also expect a confrontation between Tarzan and his Mangani (great apes) brother, who proves to be the stronger during their brutal melee. True to Tarzan lore, Jane is a helpless captive who continually warns Rom about her husband's wrath. I expected a bad-ass, Jane-for-the-21st-century but no dice. The final confrontation between Rom and Tarzan is a ho-hum affair. We know the muscular jungle dude just can't lose.

I was actually looking forward to this movie because I thought Skarsgard might make a fascinating Tarzan. Skarsgard can be very interesting if given substantial material but in a role that demands him to look like a surfer-god, grunt occasionally and speak in flat diction, he registers as only slightly more real than the CGI animals. Waltz is a seasoned villain and always fun to have around while Jackson makes for an effective sidekick to Skarsgard, who so badly needs a comic personality to offset his forgivable woodenness. Like Robie's almost brainless depiction of Jane, Jim Broadbent is saddled with a ridiculous, bewildering voice that serves no dramatic purpose.

I found myself quite bored with the movie. It was a task staying awake; even in the most action-packed moments and I found I didn't give a damn what happened to Tarzan or Jane. Had they had their butts devoured by crocodiles or hippopotami, that would have been fine with me.

As with most mega-budget movies, the film comes off more as a product than an inspired action/thriller/romance. How a director can have almost unlimited access to visual effects and still induce drowsiness in a theater audience is mystifying. I guarantee you the early Weismuller iterations didn't have $180 million dollar budgets. They didn't need to.

I haven't seen any commercial tie-ins for The Legend of Tarzan, which is too bad. The movie itself would make an excellent commercial for a Tarzan-theme park in Orlando, if one should ever be conceived. But as a movie, it just seems endless.