Southside With You

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Richard Tanne/Starring: Tika Sumpter and Parker Sawyers

While watching director Richard Tanne's feature film debut; Southside With You; I wasn't sure if what was playing onscreen was a Democratic Party infomercial or an actual movie. In case you missed the highly elusive trailer for the film (I only saw it a few days before), the movie's plot can be summarized in a few words: Barack Obama's historic first "date" with his future wife Michelle. That's it; you can go home now.
My initial reaction was: is this a joke, because it doesn't look like a movie. How does one really categorize it? A biopic? No, it isn't that. A historical drama? I guess. But what it really looks and feels like is a T.V. pharmaceutical ad, stretched to an overly long 84 minutes. And thank goodness for the relatively short running time; three hours of this would have been excruciating and maybe grounds for a congressional inquiry.
I'm not sure why I bothered to include a spoiler alert for this post--what exactly am I spoiling? I think the public's knowledge of Obama's life dispels any mystery or surprises the story purports to offer.

I guess it goes without saying that this "film" is a bore, which pains me to write, considering I voted for the guy. Did we really need a movie about Obama's first date with the future first lady? What's next; a trilogy about Lyndon B. Johnson's first ice-cream social with Lady Bird (if there was one)? An epic about Calvin Coolidge's first moonlight walk with Grace Goodhue? I've seen some fairly ridiculous, flimsy films get green-lighted over the years but this one is a doozy.

The story is direct; getting to the point in a hurry. Set in 1989 Chicago; Southside With You tells the story of how a young Harvard Law School graduate named Barack Obama; an intern for a corporate law firm and our country's future president, arranged to meet his work advisor; Michelle Robinson (Tika Sumpter) for what she believed was a friendly ride to a community meeting.

When we first see Michelle, she is preparing to meet with Barack while her parents needle her about her "date," a designation that she is quick to correct. She insists the meeting is only professional, with no romantic agenda attached. We see from her surroundings the family is hardly wealthy but are nevertheless removed from the more economically-challenged Chicago neighborhoods.

We cut to a young, black man; Barack Obama (Parker Sawyers, who captures the president's vocal particulars quite nicely) as he arrives at the Robinson residence in his shabby compact. We immediately notice a cigarette in his hand, which remains constant throughout the story. Michelle gently chides him for being late and is quick to mention his tardiness his first day on the job. She also notices the hole in the floor of his car but refrains from asking about it.

Michelle is irked when she learns the meeting they are to attend is several hours in the future. Barack's idea about spending the day together at an African-American art show with lunch afterward is met with Michelle's firm disapproval. Barack finds her resistance to be part of her unimpeachable (forgive the expression) integrity, which forbids romantic contact with co-workers, especially a subordinate outside of work. Barack pushes until he accedes to her wishes, stating "it isn't a date until you say so." In spite of her objection, Michelle agrees to go along.

Their pre-meeting conversations are supposed to reveal everything about their character, while also providing biographical information. We learn about Michelle's education; her undergraduate life at Columbia and law studies at Harvard. She shares anecdotal information about school; including the bigotry she encountered on campus. She also talks about her father, who insisted she and her brother receive a rigorous education. The hardships of being the only woman in an all-male firm is another salient point she gets across.

Much of what Barack shares with Michelle will be familiar to the audience; his itinerant youth in Hawaii, Indonesia and Kenya; his white mother; who he adores and his black father, who he is reluctant to discuss, even when prodded.

One of the film's most interesting scenes is a testy conversation where Barack haughtily judges Michelle's choice to work in corporate law, which she volleys back at him; calling attention to his own hypocritical presence at the firm. Fully chastised, Barack apologizes; having learned a cogent lesson about passing judgement on others.

The climactic moment--if the film can be said to have one--is at a community meeting, where residents express their frustration with the city's reluctance to fund a badly-needed community center. As the speaker is unable to to disarm their anger, he invites Barack to address the gathering. The results are predictably inspiring, as he uses his persuasive oratory to quell the attendees' pessimism with a rousing speech about proactive, community action. Shots of Michelle being moved by Barack's speech and his compassionate commitment to the community are predictably touching. For the viewer, the disappointing thought that his speech is the film's centerpiece, which occupies a significant portion of screen-time, is disheartening.
Is this really it? This is a movie? I'm all for films reaching beyond the conventional plot imperatives of conflict and resolution but I think every movie-goer will agree with me when I say a movie must have a point; even if its only aesthetic. The closest approach to conflict comes after the speech when Michelle and Barack run into a white, senior colleague at the movies. Michelle is naturally mortified to have a co-worker see her out with an intern and wastes little time scolding Barack afterward for allowing the incident to take place. But being Barack; he is able to calm Michelle and before long--boom!; their day together finally becomes a date. Pretty riveting cinema, eh? But we do discover their first movie together was Do the Right Thing; if that's any consolation.

I give credit to Parker Sawyers and Tika Sumpter for their performances. I don't know if they were actually ever presented a script but they did very well. I wish I could laud Tanne for his directorial brilliance but he probably had little to do but point the camera. Maybe his next directing gig will be more challenging.

Why this movie would be made at the end of Obama's time in office rather than at the beginning of his second term is beyond me. But timing is immaterial; this is a pointless snoozer. The country is too distracted with the Trump and Clinton campaigns to really care anymore about the Obamas. I think I'd rather watch a congressional filibuster than anything like this again. Or maybe I would, with a touch of recasting. How about Keegan Michael-Key as Barack and Leslie Jones as Michelle?
It has my vote.

Don't Breathe

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Fede Alvarez/Starring: Stephen Lang, Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, and Daniel Zovatto

Don't Breathe is a horror film that simplifies its method of storytelling without cheating the audience. In director Fede Alvarez's film, we find no computer-generated special effects or any visual effects at all save a sequence in a basement where an eerie glow serves as a chilling simulacrum of darkness. No cliche ghouls who darken walls and halls with their ectoplasmic presence are to be found in Alvarez's film. Here, we have three teenagers trapped in a house where a blind psychopath and his vicious dog mean to do the protagonists nasty harm. It's a chiller that works exceptionally well.

Simplified without being simplistic, Alvarez's film delivers what its intriguing trailer promises; heart-stopping thrills and creepy moments, with ample room for surprises along the way.

Set in present day Detroit, three young people; Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex (Dylan Minnette) and their de facto leader; Money (Daniel Zovatto) commit home burglaries. Though they rob homeowners of valuables; their operating principle forbids them to steal money. It's impressive how Alvarez, who co-wrote the script, gives us so much background on the characters with a paucity of exposition. We learn quickly the three kids steal to finance a move to Los Angeles, which they see as an escape from the economic blight of their hometown. A brief scene at a trailer park gives us a good idea why Rocky would choose to commit burglary to finance her move. Her drunken, dissipated mother makes very un-motherly comments about where her daughter might be her earning money. Hoping to remove her sweet, younger sister Diddy (Emma Bercovici) from the noxious environment of home gives Rocky's robberies a strong, yet ironic sense of moral purpose.

What complicates the three young felon's thieving operations is Alex's love for Rocky, who is committed to the less savory Money. Rocky invites Alex to join she, Money and Diddy on their move to L.A., which he accepts after an initially rebuffing her offer.

Only days away from their move, the three decide to commit one last robbery. Money receives a job-lead from his fence, who tells him of a home occupied by a veteran of the Persian Gulf War, who allegedly keeps $300,000 in his home. We learn the money was a pay-off from a wealthy family, whose daughter was responsible for the death of the man's own daughter. Days before the robbery, Rocky, Money and Alex learn the veteran is blind and essentially a shut-in, as is revealed during their casing of his house. Though Alex is reluctant to proceed, citing their valuables-only rule, the trio forges ahead anyway.

The actual break-in is a fairly tense sequence, as Money first narcotizes the owner's vicious rottweiler before they gain entry by breaking a window. As Money and Rocky tip-toe about the house, Alex stands near the door, urging them to abandon their operation. A hair-raising moment when Money enters the blind-man's upstairs bedroom is particularly exciting. Money narrowly escapes detection as the blind man (a very frightening Stephen Lang) wakes, only to return to sleep. Money then deploys a soporific mist to ensure the man remains deep in slumber. Downstairs, Alex stands near the exit, nervously while Rocky walks about the place, searching for the alleged cache of cash. The movie kicks into high gear after Money foolishly tries to shoot the lock off the basement door with a 9mm. The shock of suddenly seeing the blind man standing at the entrance of the room makes for a nice scare. Rather than using the gun to initiate an escape, Money boldly points the gun at the man, demanding the money while Rocky and Alex watch in muted horror. Moving toward Money, the man is able to disarm him then shove the gun in his face while grasping his throat. Begging for his life, Money asks to be let go. The man asks about others in the house and when Money fails to reveal his friends' presence, the blind man shoots him in the head. Rocky and Alex stare in shock as the man points the gun in their direction.

Shortly after, the man walks purposefully around his house, locking doors with keys and nailing planks to prevent entry and escape. It is particularly nail-biting to watch the man narrowly miss Alex as he quickly walks through the hallway with Money's gun in hand. As Alex and Rocky scramble for hiding places, she chooses a closet, which happens to contain a safe the man opens with a combination she sees on digital pad. Once he leaves, she opens the safe then removes the stacks of money therein.

Before long, the man learns of Alex and Rocky's presence, in spite of their best efforts to conceal themselves. The movie then becomes a thrilling cat and mouse chase as Alex and Rocky desperately search for an exit. The story takes an intriguing turn when Alex and Rocky make a shocking discovery in the basement while searching for an escape. What they learn makes the man less a sympathetic victim of a break-in and more the perpetrator of a heinous crime. The motivation behind said secret seems a bit preposterous but it works nevertheless.

The plot tightens further when the man's rottweiler wakes from his slumber to join his master's hunt. The house becomes a hermetically-sealed nightmare as the struggle to free themselves becomes a series of ordeals.

A horror film is only as effective as its antagonist and in this case, the villain was well-conceived and well-cast. Stephen Lang; all muscly menace, is a terrifying villain. He has very little dialogue in the film, which make his motivations mysterious and unsettling. Part of his character's malign power resides in his eyes, which bear conspicuous war wounds.

I really like that the felons--the real antagonists--become sympathetic prey while the supposed victim; a blind war veteran, becomes the bad guy. Alvarez fogs the film's morality; making the distinction between good and evil difficult to define. One can't forget Rocky's motivations to rob, which are tied to her compassionate feelings for her young sister. But the fact remains: she steals a blind veteran's money; which is his feeble compensation for a great wrong dealt to he and his daughter. The ironies and contradictions are endlessly fascinatingly.

I thought the story would end definitively, but I was surprised to find the door was left widely ajar for a sequel. I shouldn't be surprised; even the least successful horror films come in twos or threes or...you get the picture. Though I find most horror movie sequels to be unnecessary, a continuation to this story could be interesting.

Don't Breathe takes an old fashioned approach to telling its story: simple setting, simple story, terrific characters but uses what seem like limitations to its advantage. No CGI intrusions here, no elaborate sets; just imaginative filmmaking. Seems simple and easy, right? If only the summer blockbusters were as inspired.

Ben Hur (2016)

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Timur Bekmambetov/Starring: Jack Huston, Toby Kebbell, Morgan Freeman, Rodrigo Santoro, Pilou Asbaek, Ayelet Zurer and Sofia Black-D'Elia

I've lost count of all the Ben-Hur film adaptations in the 20th and 21st centuries but let's face it; the gold standard still remains the 1925 film version, which starred Ramon Novarro though most people regard William Wyler's grandiose but fun 1959 iteration as the real deal. Taking on Lew Wallace's famous story now is Russian/Kazakh director Timur Bekmambetov; who gave us the incomparable Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (did you catch the heavy sarcasm?). I suppose Bekmambetov (let's just call him Bek hereafter, shall we?) won't be the last director to adapt the Wallace's book but I wish he were. After Wyler's film, did we really need all the versions that followed, including the animated flick in 2003?

If you were lucky enough to avoid the trailer, you missed the almost imperceptible groans heard throughout the theater. The trailer promised neither excitement nor a moving re-imagining. What one saw was another unnecessary interpretation; cast with actors who looked better suited to playing in a boy band than adversaries in ancient Judea. As you may have heard, box-office receipts were tragically minuscule (gee, how did that happen?) so audiences obviously shared my trepidation. But they, unlike me, had the good sense to lay their green paper elsewhere. So why did I bother? I just had to, folks; I couldn't help myself. I like a chariot-wreck as much as the next chariot-race enthusiast.
Needless to say, Bek's film is dull, silly, often dopey yet one or two scenes almost worked. Almost.

Set in 25 C.E. (no more A.D.), Jack Huston (yes, from the Hollywood Huston dynasty) plays the titular Ben-Hur. Though most of us are well aware of the story, the viewer will find it has been revised somewhat. Messala (Toby Kebbell), is a Roman officer in former adaptations while in Bek's version, he is a Roman orphan adopted by the house of Ben-Hur; making him Judah's step-brother. This, of course, goes a long way to explaining their otherwise unlikely connection.

Early on, we see the brotherly rivalry that defines their mostly loving relationship. While engaged in (literal) horseplay, their dangerously vigorous equine race prefigures their perilous chariot race later in the movie.

A weak, romantic angle has been worked into the story as both young men pursue some of the local Jewish tootsies. I had a hard time drawing a distinction between Judah's sister Tirzah (Sofia Black D'Elia) and the other women in the film. An insipid sameness afflicts the women; rendering them extraneous, pointless characters.

The story then follows a more traditional course as the two men suddenly find their lives working at cross purposes. While Jewish zealots resist Roman Rule, which threatens the uneasy peace between the native population and the occupiers, Judah tries a more conciliatory tack, as he tries to steer the malcontents away from violent protest.

We see Messala join the Roman army, seeking the fortune he hopes will impress his love at home. While Messala campaigns with a legion in Germania, Judah tends to his life of wealth and prestige in his Judean community. But as he sees his Jewish brethren become more impatient with Roman rule, he makes the acquaintance of a Jewish carpenter who preaches the virtues of loving one's neighbor--and enemies--named Jesus (played with Biblical indifference by Rodrigo Santoro, who woefully lacks a messiah's presence). To the film's credit, watching Jesus actually use carpenter's tools is one moment of originality. Usually in films, we only see Jesus standing on a rock, preaching to a gathering of shepherds and hippy-esque Judeans. His message to Judah is so vapidly touch-feely, it's a wonder Ben-Hur doesn't say, "yeah, well, I think I hear Moses calling; I got to go."

Of course we know Messala's return, which happens to coincide with more militant acts of zealot mayhem, will be a major bummer for Judah. Caught between his step-brother's allegiance to the oppressive Roman occupiers and his own cultural imperatives, the two men find themselves hostile adversaries. Messala asks Judah to calm the people during the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate's visit to Judea. Judah is reluctant though the tension in Judea reaches a critical mass when a zealot chooses to kill a Roman officer during the army's procession through town. Though he escapes, Judah claims responsibility in a moment of self-sacrifice (a very Christ-like act, no?), which invites the angry enmity of his brother and the Roman authorities. Messala orders his step-mother and step-sister to be taken away while he consigns his step-brother to abject servitude aboard a Roman ship.

Judah is forced to join the ranks of rowers who sweat and suffer below decks but a clash with Mediterranean pirates causes the destruction of the ship on which he serves; leaving him floating helplessly on logs which suspiciously resemble a cross. From an aerial point-of-view, we see Judah resting on the cross beam; the shot unmistakably a mock crucifix. Any chance we're supposed to draw a connection?

Rather than rescue a Roman officer as in previous interpretations, Judah washes ashore in what must be Jamaica. Why Jamaica? Because the man who rescues him; Ilderim (Morgan Freeman; his appearance in the film an unanswerable riddle) resembles a Rastafarian. Ilderim even sports natty dreads. I asked myself; did the Romans colonize Jamaica too?

Ilderim threatens to fink on the castaway until Judah convinces him otherwise. It also helps that Judah is able to help Ilderim's ailing, white, Arabian horse, which is one of four he keeps for the chariot races. In time, Judah earns Ilderim's friendship and trust while training the horses for the races. Ilderim convinces Judah the best of way to oppose Rome is to defeat Messala in the chariot races. Judah agrees.

Meanwhile, Judah's sister and mother rot in a prison; their leprosy a horrid consequence of Messala's hateful vindictiveness. Judah's thirst for vengeance grows as the imperial races approach.

The race comes, and if anything is certain, it's the outcome, which I need not mention. I will say that it was done well, as the line between CGI and live action was expertly blurred. Liberties were taken with the actual race, for Pontius Pilate attends as kind of an Emperor-surrogate, urging Messala on. A moment of unintentional comedy takes place during the race when Messala asks Judah; "are we having fun yet, brother?" Are you kidding me? If you're going to utter an anachronistic taunt, then why not something more cold-blooded, like "are you feeling me, bitch?" The film is overrun with modern expressions.

Messala survives the race, which leads to a hokey, heart-warming reconciliation; clearing the way for the finale on Golgotha, where Jesus endures needless torture and Judah's mother and sister wash themselves with divine rainfall, which clears up their skin considerably; even better than Clearasil could.

The most I can say about the film is that it's competent. It looks sufficiently ancient-Judea-like and the costumes are imaginatively designed though they look a little too modern at times. In one scene, Judah appears to be in jeans, while one of the women wears what look like white slacks.

Huston and Kebbell make an earnest attempt to play hoary characters but the listless script and even more listless direction can't rescue them from what is an out and out bomb. They aren't entirely to blame; after all, who really wanted to see another 21st Century retelling? Definitely not me. Some, if not all movies, are better off not being re-imagined. Hear that, makers of the forthcoming Magnificent Seven?

In Bek's telling, he reaches for something less grandeur and more earthbound, which is a good impulse but it proves ineffective. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter didn't work too well either. So it goes. Maybe this box office defeat will discourage future productions, unless someone chooses to reinterpret the story as a comedy. That could be fun. But for now, I've had enough of Judah Ben-Hur and his leprous family.

War Dogs

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Todd Phillips/Starring: Jonah Hill, Miles Teller, Bradley Cooper and Ana de Armas

Watching War Dogs; director Todd Phillips' comedy/drama about young, novice gun-runners who almost make the score of their short-lived careers, I couldn't help but be reminded of two things: 1.) Andrew Niccols' Lord of War, which deals with arms dealing and 2.) Martin Scorsese's Good Fellas and Wolf of Wall Street. War Dogs and Lord of War are only related by subject matter but Phillips' film bears the unmistakable stamp of Scorsese's influence--maybe a little too much so. The editing, the use of freeze-frame, the main character's narration and the persistent presence of its classic rock soundtrack are very much Scorsese. The based-on-actual-events morality tale of young men finding and basking conspicuously in ill-gotten wealth before greed and ill-fortune become their undoing is also a premise one will often find in Scorsese's oeuvre. Be that as it may, Phillips' film is quite entertaining; a spirited telling of a true story, which is based on the New York Times article Arms and the Dudes, by Guy Lawson. The film is also helped along with terrific performances by Jonah Hill and Miles Teller. War Dogs may not be a stunner but it is engaging and it makes a reasonably cogent comment about the perils of opportunistic capitalism.

Miles Teller plays David Packouz; a young man earning an unremarkable but honest living as a massage therapist. When we first see him, he is sitting in his shabby car, which is parked in a posh Miami neighborhood. As he tokes a joint, a security guard approaches his car and urges him to move on. Packouz informs the guard he's waiting to serve a client, then is mildly scolded for smoking pot before driving away. The scene cuts to him massaging a man, who lets his towel fall provocatively to the floor before Packouz rebuffs his pass by awkwardly returning the towel to its proper place.

Trying to improve his financial situation, Packouz tries his hand selling quality bed-sheets to retirement homes. His idea's non-viability is apparent when he actually meets with a retirement home manager, who talks frankly about the preposterousness of old bodies wrapped in Egyptian cotton. Dejected from a lack of interest and the fact that all his savings is tied up in the sheets, Packouz maintains his job as a massage therapist.

His life changes dramatically when he sees his one-time best friend; his old school chum Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill), at a funeral for a mutual friend. The two make friendly eye-contact and afterward embrace. After catching-up with old friend conversation, Packouz learns Diveroli has gone into business selling arms. Before long, he invites Packouz to go into business with him, selling arms to the U.S. Government. Packouz resists, particularly after Diveroli mentions being cheated of $70,000 by a former associate.

Packouz is nevertheless intrigued, as he visits his friend's office to hear Diveroli's detailed explanation of how the government broadened the competition for arms sales during the Iraqi War. Packouz listens intently as Diveroli relates the history of how George W. Bush's administration, seeking a level playing field in the arms market, made it possible for virtually anyone to buy and sell large quantities of weapons. Diveroli then shows Packouz the government's long list of weapons contracts on a federal website. As Diveroli is keen to point out, the major arms dealers pursue the more lucrative contracts, while the lesser contracts--still worth millions--are made available to smaller companies. Packouz is initially reluctant after listening to Diveroli's pitch, citing his and his wife's opposition to the war in Iraq. Diveroli justifies his position by declaring his business to be pro-money rather than pro-war. Packouz agrees to a 70-30 partnership, but rather than face virulent opposition from his wife Iz (Ana de Armas), he tells her the business involves selling bed-sheets to the American military. In on the deal is Diveroli's silent partner and financial-backer Ralph Slutzky (Kevin Pollak); a successful businessman who owns a chain of dry cleaners in the Miami area. Packouz's decision to join his friend is helped along after Iz announces her pregnancy.

Diveroli and Packouz (and the audience as well), become quickly acquainted with the political complexities of the business when the two men take on a contract to supply an army captain named Philip Santos (Patrick St. Esprit) with several thousand 9mm Berettas. Hoping to ship directly from the factory in Italy, Packouz and Diveroli discover Italian arms companies are forbidden to deliver arms directly to the war zone. While Santos becomes impatient with the delays, Packouz and Diveroli scramble to find a solution to their problem. They manage to hatch a clever plan by which the guns are to be be routed to Iraq via Jordan;, an Italian ally. But they encounter another snag when the guns are seized in Jordanian customs, making it necessary for them to fly to the country to free the shipment themselves. Meanwhile, Santos presses Packouz and Diveroli for his guns while Iz grows suspicious of her husband's business.

One of the more entertaining sequences in the film follows when Packouz and Diveroli find themselves negotiating the release of the guns with a Jordanian who has connections in customs, only to find their only means of delivering the shipment is by truck--a very dangerous proposition. Their driver gives them "fifty-fifty," odds of reaching their destination, which does little to gain their confidence. The subsequent drive through the desert is met with some harrowing moments as they face a checkpoint and later, at a deserted gas station, Packouz sees two trucks of armed men heading in their direction. Their escape is fraught with peril and high comedy as the driver is forced to pore gasoline directly into the tank as they make their getaway. Only the intervention of a U.S. helicopter and some Humvees keep their truck from being overrun.

When Packouz and Diveroli reach Captain Santos, they learn their journey by truck was actually a daring drive through what the captain calls the "triangle of death." Diveroli, enchanted by their unwitting act of bravery, struts arrogantly around the compound.

Flush with a success, Packouz and Diveroli's lifestyles change dramatically shortly thereafter, as we see them driving matching Porsches and moving into separate apartments in the same Miami, luxury high-rise. They also expand their office to accommodate a larger staff, who they train in the finer points of buying and selling arms. But we begin to see signs of discord between Packouz and Diveroli when the former discovers the $70,000 his partner claims he was cheated out of is actually money he swindled from a partner. Distrust deepens after Packouz draws up a formal partnership agreement, which he has Diveroli sign. As the business prospers, Packouz notices its negative impact on his marriage, as he is frequently called away.

Packouz' business relationship and friendship with Diveroli are tested when they bid on a contract worth a mind-boggling $300 million dollars, which involves the U.S. government's plan to train and arm the Afghan army with a vast supply of weaponry, including AK-47s. The significant part of the deal becomes the million rounds of ammunition needed for the guns. Finding themselves over their heads with the logistics of shipping a mass quantity of ammunition, the deal nearly falls through until they make the acquaintance of a notorious arms dealer named Henry Girard (Bradley Cooper). After a Vegas arms show, Girard offers them a can't-lose solution to their problem. Packouz and Diveroli accept his help, in spite of his name being on a terrorist watch list. Over Packouz's objections, Diveroli secures the deal.

The film's final third act is fraught with betrayal, marital woes, Packouz's near death in Albania and a major deal gone awry. With it comes moralistic finger-wagging but oddly enough, no end titles inform us of the various character's fates.

As stated earlier, the movie felt very Scorsese-like. That in itself isn't a problem but the method of storytelling has been done so often it feels formulaic. Phillips is hardly the first to mimic Scorsese and it's certain he won't be the last but we can guess where the story will go merely from the way it's told. We know Good Fellas and The Wolf of Wall Street will end badly for the characters because Scorsese enjoys telling stories with character arcs that follow a steep rise and precipitous fall, with the requisite, intoxicating brush with Mephistophelian success in between.

But the film moves along at a heady pace; the character's misadventures make the story a fun and sometimes thrilling romp. It's also enjoyable to watch Miles Teller and Jonah Hill, who are quite excellent as the respective naif and the more worldly and ethically compromised partner. It's probably no accident that Hill was cast in Phillips' film; as he was also in Scorsese's Wolf.

No development in the film is particularly surprising, as we know from watching the trailer that no film about arms dealing will end well; Hollywood's liberal slant wouldn't permit anything else.

I've seen better films of late but Phillips' is a piquant coda to the late summer movie season. If it isn't groundbreaking, it also isn't dreary or dull.

Breaking a Monster

Director: Luke Meyer

It's not often we see a documentary about an ambitious band on the threshold of success. What is more unusual is seeing a documentary about a band on the verge of success that is made up of middle-school kids. And still more unusual is a film about a metal band made up of adolescent, African-Americans. In director Luke Meyer's Breaking a Monster, we see the Brooklyn-based, heavy-metal band Unlocking the Truth as they make the transition from busking on city sidewalks to playing before sizeable audiences on the festival circuit. How this amazing transition comes about is the subject of Meyer's absorbing film, which not only details the grim realities of the music business but also the disillusionment the industry breeds in aspiring musicians.

In the early part of the film we see the barely pubescent members of the band in video footage as they perform on a sidewalk for small change. When the viewer becomes accustomed to the sight of three young, black kids playing heavy metal, not only does one quickly warm to the band's very conspicuous talents, but their ability to rock.

As guitarist Malcolm Brickhouse, bassist Alec Atkins and drummer Jarad Dawkins begin to draw media attention, they band also attracts one-time Welcome Back Kotter co-creator Alan Sacks; who was also the driving force behind the careers of Demi Lovato and The Jonas Brothers.

From Meyer's superb fly-on-the-wall footage, it becomes obvious Sacks means to maximize the band's exposure and implement an aggressive marketing campaign. While the band-member's parents show their eager support, the band finds themselves suddenly thrust into the music industry image-making machine. In earlier footage of the band, a list of band goals is seen scribbled on a sheet of paper, which reflect the band's lofty ambitions. One entry on their list reads "meet Metallica."

But the band finds the demands of a music career often runs contrary to their adolescent interests, which include skateboarding, hanging out with friends and in the case of Dawkins, a serious girlfriend.

It is particularly painful to watch the band sitting at a table with Sacks and a team of image consultants, who advise the band on all matters related to promotion. Though it's axiomatic to say that what might seems like sensible promotion for pop artists like The Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato is all wrong for a band who idolizes Metallica and Slipknot. What emerges from the meetings is Sacks and his team's appalling obliviousness to heavy metal culture. Sacks pushes likeability, which the band naturally rebels against. No detail related to promotion is overlooked, as the team helps the band choose t-shirt designs.

The band suddenly finds itself a sensation on Youtube, which attracts the attention of their heroes; Metallica, who invite Unlocking the Truth to back them at a concert in Montreal. Intense media coverage follows; with appearances on Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show and various network news programs. We also see the band in T.V. commercials while major festivals like Coachella, Bonnaroo and South by Southwest beckon.

But it isn't long before the band begins to resist Sacks' direction and question his motives. Visible signs of discord and unhappiness become manifest. Brickhouse, the leader, finds himself at odds with Sacks on issues related to the band's direction and decision-making. Though we hear the band's stirring song Monster, the band is hampered by a lack of material to make themselves more intriguing. The band ultimately releases an EP but in spite of some promising moments, the band's unhappiness remains. Meyer's choice to end the film with the making of the band's first video is a sound choice, for the dour expression on Brickhouse's face as the filming commences is the most eloquent expression of disillusionment I've seen on film in some time.

Breaking a Monster is a very apt title for Meyer's film. He effectively documents the corrosive forces of conformity and mass consumption involved in packaging bands like Unlocking the Truth and the exploitation of callow artists who are too young to fully understand how the machine works. But as we see, Brickhouse, Atkins and Dawkins are no fools. Atkins himself shows his precocious perspective of stardom when he comments on the precariousness of band's future. To see the band-members juggle adolescence and rock stardom with varying degrees of success--lifestyles most young musicians are ill-prepared to cope with--is part of the film's dramatic power. A contract offer from Sony for 1.8 million complicates an already frustrating path to success. We never learn who handles the band's money and how much they've earned--yet another issue with which to leave the viewer feeling anxious.

Meyer's film is very timely. To be able to catch a band in the critical phase between obscurity and fame is rare. Meyer makes the most of the opportunity. He poignantly captures fame's broad impact on family, friends and even industry professionals.

The film leaves us with nagging questions about the band's chances of sustained success. I suppose we'll know soon enough. If they fail, it won't be for lack of talent or hard work. But as Atkins and the band realize, nothing is assured. It is just that kind of awareness and adult-level realism that will keep the band from the abyss should they fail. Let's hope they don't.

Anthropoid

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Sean Ellis/Starring: Cillian Murphy, Jamie Dornan, Charlotte Le Bon, Toby Jones, Anna Geislerova, Alena Mihulova, Bill Milner, and Pavel Reznicek

I feel I've seen films like director Sean Ellis' Anthropoid told many times before; which details the Czech underground's efforts to assassinate Nazi Chief of Police and Reich-Protector for Bohemia and Moravia; Reinhard Heydrich; also known as The Butcher of Prague. While watching Ellis's film, I was reminded of Brian Singer's Valkyrie, which depicted the plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Though Ellis' film is the superior, it somehow fails to be the nail-biting thriller we hope it to be. I have no quibbles with the fine performances or the story, but it the film registers more as a pretty decent thriller rather than a gripping drama. But as decent thrillers go, Ellis' film is a worthwhile distraction; one that won't insult your intelligence.

The movie gets down to business quickly as two Czech patriots on a mission from London parachute into their home country. After finding temporary shelter in the home of a countryman, the two men; Josef Gabcik (Cillian Murphy) and Jan Kubis (Jamie Dornan; on a more interesting acting assignment than 50 Shades of Grey) become suspicious of their benefactor; quickly discovering their hosts are sympathetic to the Nazi occupiers. After dispatching their their betrayers, Josef and Jan find their way to Prague, where they make contact with an underground cell. They explain to their collaborators their allied-mandated mission; code-named Anthropoid, to assassinate Chief of Police Reinhard Heydrich; the presiding power in Prague and an elite officer in the Nazi regime. Their disclosure is met with gasping disbelief, as the other members naturally question the soundness of the plan; citing the likely possibility of vicious Nazi reprisals. But the imperatives of the allied command outweigh the objections of the Czech underground, which clears the way for the operation's execution.

In plotting Heydrich's assassination, Josef, Jan and the underground members understand getting to the Nazi officer will be tricky, considering his home and his headquarters are both heavily guarded. But in monitoring Heydrich's comings and goings, the resistance learns of a routine route the officer follows through the city and sets about planning an ambush.

While making plans, the group experiences some hair-raising moments. During a backroom meeting in a local shop, German soldiers enter and begin searching the premises. Only a noisy distraction made by a beautiful underground operative named Lenka (Anna Geislerova) saves them from discovery.

As preparations are made for the operation, Josef and Jan find their presence in Prague complicated by Lenka and her equally attractive friend, Marie (Charlotte Le Bon). While Jan and Marie fall in love, Josef and Lenka form an attachment. If the relationships don't jeopardize the mission, they also don't help.

Josef and Jan's mission endangers a great many people, including a family; husband and father Mr. Moravec (Pavel Reznicek), his wife (Elena Mihulova) and violin-playing son At'a (Bill Milner), who allow their home to be a base of operations. Another family member; Uncle Hajsky (Toby Jones) helps plan the mission. It is Hajsky who provides all the members of the mission cyanide capsules in the event of capture. The capsules take on a greater significance later in the film.

The assassination itself, which entails stopping Heydrich's car on a strategic street corner, carries the added danger of an armored car escort whose appearance is unpredictable. The mission is set in motion anyway, though not without serious mishaps. When Heydrich's chauffeured vehicle is obstructed, Josef steps out in front of the car, points his machine gun at the officer and pulls the trigger, only to find the gun isn't loaded. When Heydrich draws a pistol and returns fire, Jan throws a bomb at the car which explodes, injuring both the target and the driver. Josef and Jan manage to escape, thinking the mission failed. But a shot of a blood-stained hole in the vehicle tells otherwise. Meanwhile, Josef angrily confronts another conspirator named Karel (Jiri Simek), who purposely avoided loading the machine gun meant to kill Heydrich. Karel offers a bewildering explanation for his action, which Josef is forced to accept.
Soon the group learns Heydrich died from his wounds, which sets in motion the violent reprisals the plotters feared.

As the German army begins executing citizens in their search for the assassins, they also offer a sizeable reward for information leading to an arrest. Hoping to quell the mass murder of his people, Karel comes forward to offer information. Jan and Josef find refuge in a church whose priest is sympathetic to the underground's cause. In the church's underground cellar, Jan and Josef meet other parachutists involved in the resistance. They quickly form a scheduled guard-watch in the church proper while those not on duty remain below, out of sight.

The resistance group in the church are able to hide until Karel's information leads soldiers to the Moravec home, where At'a is captured and led away. In another harrowing scene, Hajsky, facing certain capture, fumbles his cyanide capsule and quickly tries to recover it before the German soldiers break down his door.

The cathedral hide-out is soon discovered after At'a is brutally tortured. The film's grim but thrilling conclusion takes place at the cathedral, as the resistance members dig in to fight a hopeless battle against the German army, who resort to every means to kill their prey. We learn in the end subtitles the resistance members held off the German army for a heroic six hours.

Ellis certainly knows how to craft a thriller but though the story itself is compelling and of historic import, it fails to completely convey the excitement of the operation. It isn't enough to make a movie about a plot to kill a Nazi; an intriguing premise such as Ellis' film requires a sustained feeling of dread; an element unevenly supplied. His story kept me engaged but not at the edge of my seat.

The plot and the assassination itself were very courageous, as was the battle inside the cathedral. The plotters fought on, knowing the fight was futile. The film does give us a sense of the plotter's tremendous sacrifice; accomplished in the face of personal peril. The decision to kill Heydrich also carried the threat of retribution. Knowing many of their countrymen would die, the act carried with it a deadly, moral calculus.

I watched the film with great interest but didn't leave the theater feeling shaken or in a sated daze. One would like to suggest the film Anthropoid to friends but I found myself falling back on my least enthusiastic response; "well, I liked it, but I didn't love it." Faint praise indeed.

Ellis's film will enjoy a more robust life on streaming in a month or two. It's feeble distribution certainly doesn't help its cause. Maybe it'll play better on a smaller screen. It's a story worth telling but one I wished had been told better.

Florence Foster Jenkins

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Stephen Frears/Starring: Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg, Rebecca Ferguson, Allan Corduner, Christian McKay, and David Haig

Florence Foster Jenkins (1868-1944), socialite and patron to the New York music scene, occupies a very peculiar place in American music history. A one-time pianist, Jenkins' inherited wealth allowed her to extend a philanthropic hand to musicians; including world-renowned conductor Arturo Toscanini. But she is known mostly for her concerts, which she performed without any ability to sing or carry a tune. Jenkins was so comically inept as a singer as to produce guffaws in listeners. Jenkins' dream of performing in her own concerts in her later years is the focus of director Stephen Frears' comedy/drama Florence Foster Jenkins; a funny film replete with a subtle, tragic edge. Frears' film follows on the heels of Xavier Giannoli's Marguerite; another 2016 release based on Jenkins' life. While Giannoli's film opts for a darker narrative, Frears' film allows the inherent humor of Jenkins' musical endeavors to find expression without succumbing to farce.

Set in New York in early 1944, the film opens in a small, theatrical setting where a gathering of socialites who call themselves The Verdi Club enjoy a musical play hosted by Florence Foster Jenkins (Meryl Streep) and her husband St. Clair Bayfield (Hugh Grant). It's clear from the scene how key a role music plays in Jenkins' life and how her wealth makes musical opportunities for others and herself possible.

At home among her posh surroundings, St. Clair's devotion to Florence is very conspicuous as he tends to her frail health. A startling moment when she removes her wig to expose her smooth, bald head reveals the seriousness of her illness whose cause is later made known to the audience.

Inspired by her ardor for music, Florence becomes infatuated with the idea of furthering her singing lessons; a pursuit her loving and accommodating husband supports. Needing a pianist to accompany her lessons, Florence and St. Clair arrange auditions with local musicians. In one of the more amusing moments in the film, we see the audition itself, which begins with a loud, over-zealous pianist whose cacophonous playing leaves Florence and St. Clair visibly pained. Following after is Cosme McMoon (Simon Helberg; whose comedic performance almost hijacks the movie); whose ingratiating version of Saint Saens' The Swan delights Florence while leaving the other pianists outside the door angry and bewildered. Their reaction will most likely elicit a solid chuckle from the audience.

Having selected Cosme, Florence's voice lessons begin in earnest. Her teacher, Carlo Edwards (David Haig) coaxes the first sounds from Florence, which are laughably off-key and almost ear-splitting. The reaction on Cosme's face when he first hears her voice is worth the price of admission alone. The scene becomes surreally funny as Carlo resorts to vigorous, physical contact in an attempt to draw musical sounds from her voice. While Carlo's praise for Florence's awful singing is puzzling, Cosme can barely contain his dismay. When Florence asks Carlo if she is ready for a recital, he offers his enthusiastic assent. Later, following the lesson, Carlo's real estimation of Florence's voice is expressed during his conversation with St. Clair in the lobby of the apartment building. When St. Clair asks Carlo whether he will attend the recital, Carlo mentions an engagement in Florida. But when St. Clair asks when his Florida trip might be, Carlo asks him when the recital might take place. That exchange is one of the funniest I've seen in movie this year.

St. Clair's efforts to protect Florence's feelings also leaves him defensive when he hears her voice being slighted. St. Clair takes mild offense to Carlo's reaction and is skeptical of Cosme's awkwardly-expressed comment about Florence's voice being "flat."

As Florence prepares for her first recital, St. Clair's feverish attempts to fill seats with sympathetic patrons proves exhausting and trying, while Cosme expresses his fears and doubts about his ability to accompany his patron onstage.

What gives Frear's film depth are the character's fascinating backstories, which sometimes provide clues to their motivations. We learn that St. Clair was once an aspiring actor on the stage who never achieved greatness. Florence mentions at one point how she protected him from scathing reviews--an ironic comment, considering St. Clair goes out of his way to shield his wife from equally scathing reviews of her singing.

Though we marvel at St. Clair's devotion to his wife, the sobering reality of their relationship becomes evident when we see him depart from the apartment late nights after he lulls Florence to sleep with his Shakespearean recitations. We see St. Clair visiting his girlfriend; Kathleen (Rebecca Ferguson) at an apartment he keeps. At this point in the film, we don't know if St. Clair's nightly visits are mere philandering or if they serve another purpose. In time we learn that St. Clair is Florence's second husband; her first marriage having proved pernicious in more ways than one. It becomes known to the audience that her debilitating illness is a result of her first marriage, which leaves Florence and St. Clair unable to enjoy or consummate conjugal relations.

St. Clair's desperate attempt to shield Florence from negative criticism is dramatized in a scene following her recital, where he buys all the copies of the New York Post. The paper features a damning review of her concert, written by St. Clair's nemesis; Earl Wilson (Christian McKay). We see the lengths St. Clair goes to protect Florence in a scene shortly thereafter, when he and Cosme negotiate the purchase of a copy of the Post from an angry cafe patron while she sits among her friends nearby, unaware of what is taking place.

The film builds to Florence's climactic performance at Carnegie Hall; an idea she first proposes to St. Clair after sitting in the illustrious venue. St. Clair tries to discourage her, citing her failing health but his reservations are overcome by his love for Florence and his indefatigable quest to secure her happiness. Fearing the ridicule that might come from a Carnegie Hall performance, Cosme nearly abandons Florence until St. Clair convinces him otherwise. The concert itself, a tense sequence, is full of surprises and terrific moments.

In less talented hands, Florence Foster Jenkins might have been a sentimental farce but Frears, never one for maudlin narratives, ensures the comedy has a dark flip-side. Underneath the comic travesty of Jenkins' singing is a tragedy Frears courts but doesn't asphyxiate the audience with.

Though Frears is a reliable talent behind the camera, the film's power is generated by some stellar performances. Anyone who has read my blog in the past is familiar with my distaste for Meryl Streep but I have to say she acquitted herself well as Jenkins; making a potentially pathetic person sympathetic and quite human. But the film's real treasures are Hugh Grant and Simon Helberg; who are very funny; showing their comedic flare in many scenes but they manage to tease out their respective character's sadder natures.

The film offers no clues as to how and why Jenkins believed her singing to be stage-worthy but what is axiomatic was her love for music, which St. Clair explains to Florence's doctor as the key to her longevity. Frears' film never mocks Jenkins but shows her admirable qualities; her resilience and blithe indifference to the more tragic aspects of her life.

Florence Foster Jenkins is an enjoyable film and one that seems even better in retrospect. Its main character isn't a buffoon but someone with darker corners than one might expect. The film also proves there is more to the facts we read in the end titles or that can be heard on her record, which has become quite popular with music lovers. Jenkins certainly was an oddity but one worth discovering in a two-hour film.

Don't Think Twice

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Mike Birbiglia/Starring: Mike Birbiglia, Keegan Michael-Key, Gillian Jacobs, Kate Micucci, Tami Sagher and Chris Gethard

It's not often we see a film about a close-knit group who have a common passion and who are, in one way or another, consumed or at least affected by it; how it strains their friendships and sometimes forces painful life choices. Such is the plot-line for former stand-up comedian now writer/director/actor Mike Birbiglia's Don't Think Twice; his comedy/drama about an improv troupe's professional and private struggles and the interpersonal strife that define their relationships. Birbiglia's film is funny, sharply observed and often touching. He makes us care about characters not necessarily familiar to us and the volatile world of improv, with its immediate but fleeting rewards.

We meet the improv troupe known as The Commune early in the film, which is made up of Miles (Mike Birbiglia); a late, thirty-something veteran performer and teacher who is given to sleeping with his students. There is also Jack (Keegan Michael-Key), who is prone to hijacking the troupe's performances to impress casting agents in the audience and there is his girlfriend and fellow-troupe member Samantha (Gillian Jacobs) who has conflicted feelings about pursuing stardom. Allison (Kate Micucci) performs in improv comedy but possesses the talent for a career in cartooning while Lindsay (Tami Sagher) supplements her acting with her writing. Her wealthy family background is often a target of the troupe's resentment. Bill (Chris Gethard) copes with the anxieties of performing, self-doubt and his ailing father.

But we first see the troupe backstage, waiting to perform for a small but eager audience. Their quirky, pre-performance ritual consists of mutually-supportive pats on the back. The actual performance gives us a taste of improvisational acting. After Samantha asks the audience for a bad-day experience, a troupe member uses the response as a premise for a comic situation for which the other actors add to an ever growing, funny story-line. Part of the film's charm is seeing a talented group of improv actors ply their craft. One might think the performance continues offstage, as the members mine comedy from random conversation and situations.

We can see how a group who risks failure and ridicule onstage might become a tight, social group. Part of their weekly ritual involves watching the Mt.Olympus of comedic acting: This Weekend Live; a thinly disguised version of Saturday Night Live. It becomes abundantly clear landing a gig on This Weekend Live is an improv actor's dream. We hear the characters talk excitedly about the show's casting personnel attending The Commune's performance while Miles chides Jack about turning a skit into a personal audition, which he does the next time the troupe takes stage. Interrupting the comedic momentum of a piece, Jack introduces President Obama into the story-line for the express purpose of showing off his impersonation. The opportunistic ploy works, for Jack and Samantha are both invited to audition for This Weekend Live in the days following.

But Jack and Samantha's fortune comes with a soupcon of anxiety, for the disclosure to the troupe members elicits feelings of jealousy, resentment and a measure of betrayal. While Jack can barely contain his excitement, Samantha has reservations about auditioning. On the day of, Jack arrives ahead of Samantha and ultimately nails his audition. Samantha, meanwhile, shows up at the office building, only to walk away. When Jack asks about her audition, she claims she was too late arriving and was turned away, which meets with his incredulity. She later explains her refusal to audition as a commitment to her true love of improv, which she refuses to give up.

As Jack and Samantha contend with the issue of his potential stardom and her self-sabotage, the other members of the troupe cope with their own issues. Mile's habitual bedding of his improv students becomes the means by which he combats his loneliness and the sense of failure he feels as an aging improv actor who has yet to find success. The characters (and the audience) detect the cloud of defeat that envelops him and his artistic pursuits, which includes ruining an opportunity to be on This Weekend Live. The sight of Miles sitting half-naked in bed in his small apartment while his young, female student dresses to leave is particularly pathetic. It becomes clear Mike's chances of landing a gig on the T.V. show are ever-diminishing. But a chance meeting with a female high school acquaintance shows him the potential for a different life; something real, though she too senses the hopelessness in Mile's dreams.

When Allison and Bill decide to submit dual samples of their comedic writing, Miles suggests sending his own writing along with their work; an idea they quickly and awkwardly rebuff. As a salve to his pride, Miles declares his intention to submit his own work.

Amid the performing and socializing, the group shows support for Bill while his father rests on his deathbed. After visiting his father, the group breaks into an inappropriate contest of impersonations of the dying man. Their tendency to turn grave situations into improv proves to be a queasily funny tic.

Bad luck visits the troupe when the building in which they hold their performances is sold, leaving them without a home. But other misfortunes threaten to sunder the troupe when Miles discovers his girlfriend is pregnant with another man's child. The news inspires Miles to become serious about his life and the possibility of fatherhood. The troupe's incessant pressure on Jack to submit their material to TWL's producer threatens his already-shaky position on the show as a first-year cast member. Fearing that he'll be fired, Jack commits a breach of ethics when he presents a piece previously performed by The Commune to a Weekend Live cast-member. When the troupe sees their skit performed on the show, they confront Jack outside the building. All the rancor and mutual-animosity between the troupe members surfaces, causing the members to walk away in disgust. Miles' is angered further when he discovers Lindsay's comedy material has landed her a spot on the show as a writer.

While the group is temporarily sundered, Samantha pushes on as the lone member of The Commune while also becoming Mile's successor in his improv acting class.

Though Birbiglia presents the audience with a realistic and a moving portrait of an improv actor's life, he can't resist rescuing the audience from the downbeat narrative developments. The fallout from the troupe's confrontation with Jack is less serious than it appears but the inevitable change it stimulates is very significant.

One might think a whole movie about an improv troupe would be insufferable but it is easy to be drawn into their world and feel their anxieties when Birbiglia's own adversity as a stand-up comic is source material. Birbiglia's take on the improv world is poignant and insightful.

Casting is always key. The actors seem very much at home performing in an improv capacity and are often funny. Keegan Michael-Key is a seasoned sketch-comedy actor, which makes him an obvious casting choice.

Birbiglia's character-driven, smartly drawn story rings sweetly with terrific dialogue and engaging characters. It isn't brilliant but it is likeable and it allows us to gaze into a world we infrequently, if ever see. Birbiglia also allows some reflection about the nature of improv; its artistic merit and its inherent, evanescent nature.

For a small film about an obscure subset of the acting world, Don't Think Twice packs a small, affective punch. Small, yes, but still a punch.

Indignation

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: James Schamus/Starring: Logan Lerman, Sarah Gadon, Tracy Letts, Ben Rosenfeld, Linda Emond, Danny Burstein and Philip Ettinger

Based on Phillip Roth's novel of the same name, Indignation marks the directorial, feature film debut of James Schamus. Roth's novels are never easy to adapt well and I can't recall a great movie that was ever made from any of his books. Bringing a Roth novel to the big screen is a daunting challenge for any director; more so for a directorial newcomer. Schamus not only handles the material with aplomb, he evinces a sure hand, crafting a powerful drama from a seemingly simple story. The film explores and dramatizes the rigid moral landscape of early 1950s' America and its impact on a young, Jewish man from New Jersey.

In the opening scenes, we see a Korean soldier stalking an American soldier through an abandoned building before the aggressor is shot, falling dead. In a different scene, we see an elderly woman sitting alone in a retirement home. What connects the respective scenes and how they serve the story becomes clear later in the film.

Logan Lerman plays Marcus Messner, a teenager from New Jersey on the verge of leaving for college. Marcus spends his days working with and for his father Max (Danny Burstein) at the family-owned butcher shop. Marcus' matriculation at an Ohio college bestows an automatic deferment from military duty in the Korean war; the grim military conflict raging overseas.

The setting quickly shifts from Jersey to a small town in Ohio named Winesburg (an allusion to Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio?). After learning the Jewish students are clustered together in their own enclave-like area of the dormitories, Marcus meets the two roommates with whom he is to share a living space; Ron (Philip Ettinger); a strapping upperclassman and Bertram (Ben Rosefield); an odd duck who is given to reciting Shakespearean passages.
Shortly after meeting his roommates, Marcus learns all students are required to attend Sunday service in the campus chapel; regardless of faith or denomination. The non-negotiable requirement is an unreasonable curricular imperative but Marcus finds it is necessary for graduation.

In his first days at school, Marcus is also approached by two members of the Jewish campus fraternity, who soft sell him on the idea of joining. Marcus declines, feeling no need to join an any organization. The scene is significant, for it gives us a sense of Marcus' independent spirit and introduces the audience to two men who will later play a key role in his school experience.

As a pre-law major, Marcus excels in the classroom; particularly during history, where his inquisitive mind attracts the notice of his professor. A pretty, blonde girl, Olivia Hutton (Sarah Gadon) in his history class catches his eye and after spending evenings standing outside her dorm room window, he asks her out on a date. The two hit it off though Olivia's dark secret reveals itself during their first date. Though it escapes Marcus' immediate attention, Olivia's wrist bears the unmistakable scar of a suicide attempt. Marcus learns soon after that Olivia made an attempt on her own life during a drunken episode, which stemmed from her unhappy home life and her troubled relationship with her father.

Though it's never an issue between them, the stark social contrast between Marcus' humble background and Olivia's upbringing of wealth and privilege is but one of the glaring differences between them.

A key moment in their first date occurs after dinner. While parked in a dark, secluded area, Olivia surprises Marcus by fellating him. The date ends awkwardly and in days thereafter, Marcus avoids Olivia while trying to fathom the sexual experience in the car. Perplexed by her boldness, Marcus reaches out to his roommate Ron in hopes of gleaning some understanding. Ron listens but soon becomes annoyed with Marcus' monotonous discussion.

A period of mutual alienation follows until Marcus seeks her out, only to be rebuffed. A series of letters are exchanged, one of which is taken from Marcus' hands by his prying roommate Bertram. After Marcus reacts violently to Bertram's theft, Ron intervenes, only to enrage Marcus who takes a swing at his bigger, stronger roommate. Ron decks him, which prompts Marcus' exit from the room. Shortly after, Marcus applies for and is granted a room transfer to the dingiest and least coveted living dorm on campus.

In the scene that follows, Marcus is summoned to the college dean's office, who inquires about the room transfer. In the film's most tension-filled, riveting scene, the dean (an excellent Tracy Letts) grills Marcus on a variety of issues and poses thinly-veiled, anti-Semitic questions to him about his father's butcher shop and his Jewish background. But the most contentious and most significant subject is Marcus' atheism. Caudwell's distaste for Marcus' candid comments about his inability to practice one religion over another leads to an impassioned debate. Marcus draws upon Bertrand Russell's Why I'm Not a Christian to support his lack of belief in a Biblical god. When Dean Caudwell cites Russell's morally shaky private life, Marcus counters with a comment about the philosopher/mathematician's Nobel Prize. The Dean's hopeless determination to win the impromptu debate persists, in spite of Marcus' forceful defense of his beliefs. The scene occupies a substantial chunk of screen-time but the acting and the terrific dialogue left me spellbound.

But before Marcus leaves the Dean's office, he collapses and in the subsequent scene in a hospital room, we learn Marcus' physical attack was an appendicitis.
The fact that the appendicitis occurred after Marcus' heated exchange means the collapse could (and should) be interpreted as something more abstract than literal. Any number of interpretations might apply. Given the reactionary spirit of the school and the times, Marcus' ailment could be seen as the progressive's revulsion with the reactionary ideas of 1950s America.

When Olivia surprises Marcus with a hospital visit, her presence on the bed leads to an act which carries the threat of expulsion. Fortunately for both, the fallout is nil.
But Marcus' distaste for the chapel services leads to a course of action with appalling consequences. What follows after powerfully connects the main story to the enigmatic opening scenes.

Schamus' script and story seems so simple in retrospect but nothing in a Roth novel is ever so. Though the compulsory conformity that characterized 1950s' America is represented well in the story, so is the small-minded bigotry and priggish attitudes about sex. The scar on Olivia's wrist is a powerful symbol of the oppressive sexism that left women few life choices and viable options in the era. One can see that both Marcus and Olivia as victims of an intolerant and unenlightened period. Both bear the brunt of 1950s' intolerance: he for being a Jew and Olivia for being a woman; particularly one that is sexually daring.

One of the film's great strengths is also one viewers might find suspect: the lack of marquee cast names. Brilliant performances make any and all qualms irrelevant. Particularly good is Logan Lerman, whose role may be something of a breakthrough. Letts plays the Dean with superb, subtle menace. The aggression seething behind his intolerant, self-righteous face is powerful, which Letts makes almost unbearable without going over the top. Gadon's exceptional performance can't be overlooked, nor can Linda Emond's. The scene where she issues an ultimatum to Marcus about Olivia is one fine moment among many in the film.

Schamus shows a Roth novel can be adapted well, which is no mean feat. With a story so character-driven, camera work tends to be subdued, which means the director must draw exceptional performances from his cast. Schamus does so with a veteran's skill.

Indignation comes as something of summer surprise, which is a good thing; considering my incessant gripes about the multiplex. With super heroes and ghostbusting gals hogging the screens, it's refreshing to see a story about someone more heroic than the costume-clad clowns with super powers. Marcus Messner does it; not by lifting heavy objects or wielding super weapons, but by simply opposing the status quo.

Suicide Squad

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: David Ayer/Starring: Margot Robbie, Will Smith, Jared Leto, Viola Davis, Commmon, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne, Jai Courtney, Joel Kinnaman, Adam Beach and Karen Fukuhara

After watching Suicide Squad; director David Ayer's eagerly-awaited (at least in comic-book fandom) super-villain blockbuster, I can't help thinking summer cinema 2016 is one of the worst in the annals of summer movie seasons. I haven't seen one major studio release in May, June, July or August that was worth a dime. When one considers movie-summers past, 2016 is comparatively quite wretched. In the summer of 1980, one had Caddyshack, Airplane!, The Empire Strikes Back, The Shining and The Blues Brothers; all classics in their own right and all major hits. Among the aforementioned cluster, only Lucas' film was a sequel. Very few of the 2016 multiplex offerings have been originals; most cineplex fare have been either franchise installments or reboots. I wish I could say a few jewels stood tall among the leavings but to put it bluntly: everything sucked monumentally.

Along comes Ayer's film and the promise of something a little different. Rather than the standard issue movie with costumed good guys saving the world from total destruction, we have a group of baddies who are coerced into doing the same. It's another comic book movie, to be sure, but at least it proposed a new angle. But although the characters are colorful and fun to watch, they're also stuck in a half-conceived, half-ass story that isn't in much of hurry to go anywhere. In spite of its scant qualities, the movie is really another junk-pile offering and just another product with massive marketing potential.

U.S. government official Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) proposes the formation of a super-villain task force after an evil sorceress from another dimension named the Enchantress, frees herself from government control. Her heart; previously hidden in a temple in Mexico, is subsequently discovered by U.S. agents, thus providing the means by which she is held in check. After the witch manages to return her heart to her own body, she summons her brother, Incubus; a formidably powerful entity whose awesome power also poses a threat to the world. The Enchantress and Incubus set about on an agenda of--what else--world domination. Complicating Waller's mission is the man assigned to lead her band of bad guys; Rick Flag (Joel Kinnman); a Special Forces operative, who is in love with Enchantress' human alter ego, June Moone (Cara Delevingne). Moone, a former archaeologist, uncovered the Enchantress' spirit from a cave during an expedition in Mexico. Moone subsequently became the sorceress' vessel and discovered shortly thereafter she was able to summon the witch at will, before the spirit's aforementioned escape.

The narrative slows long enough for us to meet the so-called bad guys being held in a maximum security prison:

• Deadshot (Will Smith): a former assassin for hire whose marksmanship with a variety of guns is inhumanly accurate at 4,000 yards. Deadshot's weakness is his daughter, who he longs to be with and to whom he must account for his murderous past.

• Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie): a former psychiatrist, Quinzel fell in love with The Joker during therapy at the Arkham Asylum in Gotham. The Joker transformed Quinzel into the villainess Harley Quinn with shock therapy and a toxic chemical bath, which helped alter her appearance and hair color. She immediately became The Joker's dangerous sidekick and lover.

• Boomerang (Jai Courtney): an Australian bank robber who wields deadly boomerangs (hence the name).
• Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje): a lizard-like brute who, in Waller's words, "evolved backwards."

• Diablo (Jay Hernandez): a repentant former L.A. gangmember with the power to spray lethal jets of flame. Trying to leave his former life behind, Diablo's wife and two children give him some sense of purpose. Atoning for past crimes, Diablo is reluctant to use his power.

Added to the nefarious mix is Rick Flag's bodyguard; a deadly, katana-wielding Japanese woman named Katana, whose sword holds the spirits of those she slays. Joining the group for a brief time on film is Slipknot (Adam Beach); a villain with superior climbing skills. Adding a wrinkle to Waller's plans is the Joker himself, who wants nothing more than to free his lover.

To ensure the squad remains committed to their mission, Waller places an explosive device inside their bodies that can be activated in the event of an attempted escape. For the squad, Waller promises nothing and offers little in the way of compensation.

The movie's pace, which moves unhurriedly toward the showdown with the Enchantress and Incubus, is good and bad. The deliberate pace means we get to know the characters and more about their lives before incarceration but it also means the story plods along. Its torpid pace probably serves the film more effectively because the Suicide Squad itself is much more fun and interesting than the real villains they're assigned to stop.

How the squad interacts with one another and how they respond to Rick Flag's imperious behavior comprise the film's only really entertaining moments. While some of the squad seem misunderstood--Deadshot, Diablo and Killer Croc--the others; Boomerang and Harley Quinn, are hell-bent on mayhem and menacing the public.

The Enchantress sends legions of her faceless (literally) gargoyles to fend off the squad, which they dispatch with little trouble though a boomerang, a baseball bat and guns seem like inadequate weapons against an inter-dimensional being. Nevertheless, the group forges ahead, making their way through a deserted city toward their targets.

The movie's subplot involves the Joker's eventual rescue of Quinn, but his getaway vehicle is destroyed, leaving him dead (presumably). Grief-stricken, Quinn leaves the squad for a spell before returning.

Once we've thoroughly acquainted ourselves with the characters the movie bogs down with its lackluster story line. The big showdown is a dull dud and not very imaginative though the epilogue is quite fun. But by the final credits, I felt bored and eager for the exit.

I liked the concept of evil battling evil but other than Harley Quinn and Deadshot, Waller's bad guys just aren't that amusing or interesting. Nor is the Enchantress, who does little more than sway her hips like a stripper on an altar-like dais; rays of fiery energy emanating from her body. I'm sure Margot Robbie had a lot of fun playing Quinn and she played it well but even her character is under-conceived. I've never been a Will Smith fan but I really enjoyed his performance as Deadshot. Smith found the humor in his role but also a bit of tragedy that made him sympathetic, in spite of his past as an assassin. The character of Diablo could have been developed more but we'll no doubt see him again in future installments. It was painful to see Adam Beach as Slipknot make an early exit, after all; how often do we see a Native American super villain?

I have no natural aversion to super hero movies but one wonders; when will the film industry's fascination with costumed crime fighters--and now costumed villains--end? The answer to that question is simple: when fans stop shelling out dollars for this stuff. With the San Diego Comic-Con's popularity gaining rather than waning, we may never see an end to the genre, or even a moratorium.

Suicide Squad is watchable but not thrilling or bracingly clever. I guess I've learned to be content with splashes of CGI, cool costumes and serviceable plots.

If I'm not mistaken, the film is the last of 2016's mammoth, high-profile, summer blockbusters. It isn't hard to see the squad as the filmmaker's answer to Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy though it is no match for what was a funny and irreverent film. Now we wait for the more substantial, fall offerings to trickle in, though we still have three more weeks of August. Hollywood, I've seen enough for the summer. Now show me the good stuff.

The Last Gold

Director: Brian T. Brown

I typically use IMDB when I write my blog-posts to fill in names of characters, directors, actors and other minutiae I often miss in the credits. But for director Brian T. Brown and his new documentary The Last Gold, IMDB had no information on the film, which was unusual. Even obscure, never-to-be-seen-on-most-movie-screen features have some kind entry on the movie database. Not Brown's. In fact, his film isn't even mentioned under his personal entry! Even Wikipedia; a data source whose reliability is often dubious, can usually be counted to have an entry for mostly anything, was mum on Brown's film. This is the first for any film I've ever reviewed. Its omission is quite vexing, considering the attention heaped on The Last Gold in its film film festival circuit. It's also disappointing, because Brown's documentary on the 1976 U.S. Women's Olympic Swim team; specifically the 4x100 relay squad and its controversial leader Shirley Babashoff, is an exceptional film. This isn't just another sports documentary. Brown's nuanced film is well-researched, well-told and it sheds light on a chapter in Olympic history that has heretofore been ignored: the widespread use of anabolic steroids among the 1976 men and women East German Olympic swim teams and its devastating effect on competition. Brown's film is timely, given the recent doping scandal among Russian athletes prior to the forthcoming Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro. In Brown's film, we come to understand how the Cold War rivalry between the United States and East Germany extended beyond geo-political maneuvering into athletic competition, particularly in the Olympic arena.

Early in the film, we meet the American women who would play a historic role in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. Though Juliana Margulies narrates the film, the women tell their own stories. We learn about Babashoff; a young, athletic, Californian whose conspicuous passion for competitive swimming in the early 1970s' allowed her to successfully compete against boys. Babashoff describes her intense regimen, which entailed early morning practice before school and more after. We also learn about the other women who would key participants in the Olympic games. Wendy Boglioli, whose swimming talents were honed early on against her athletically competitive siblings. Another is Jill Sterkel, who, like her former teammates, provides valuable insights into her early training. The fourth member of the famous relay team, now deceased was Kim Peyton. Giving the viewer historical context, the interviewees share memories not only of their family lives but of their time as teenagers when male chauvinism demanded women be pretty, unobtrusive creatures.

The film also gives us background and history on the U.S. team's main competitors; the East German women's swim team, whose mediocre medal count in the 1972 Olympic games was eclipsed by the American women's team strong showing in Munich. When the East German women's swim team experienced a dramatic turnaround in international competition a mere year after Munich, few suspicions were aroused as to how a formerly unremarkable program suddenly became a powerhouse in such a narrow time frame.

What is particularly astonishing about Brown's film are his candid interviews with the former members of the East German team on the athletic state of affairs in communist East Germany. Having determined the success over their western rivals was a top priority, the East German government developed a program whereby top athletic prospects were chosen from the young population. But in seeking a competitive edge, East Germany embarked on a state-sponsored program utilizing steroids to develop and enhance their athlete's abilities. Given a little blue pill the coaches claimed was a vitamin, the girls were actually fed an anabolic steroid called Turinabol. The drug increased testosterone in woman, giving them a startling edge over their female competition. Though the men's team was similarly drugged, the effects on the women proved to be more pronounced, as the swimmer's would discover in the Olympic games. Among the interviewees from the East German team is stand-out Kornelia Enders, who would become the bane of the U.S. Swim team in Montreal.

As we see in the film, steroid use had immediate and profound effects on the swimmer's bodies. While the women experienced abnormal hair growth on their faces and bodies, their faces widened, voices deepened and their frames took on a decidedly male appearance. The images of the women in swim suits is telling; their masculinized frames betraying Turinabol's awesome effects. More mind-boggling was the impact of the performance-enhancing drugs on the East German swimmers in international competition. In the 1973 world championships in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, the East German women's team dominated the competition; easily winning the majority of events. Meanwhile Babashoff, a product of superior coaching and intensive training, became discouraged at her repeated losses to her East German counterparts. In the Belgrade footage, the viewer is able to clearly see the the advantage anabolic steroids conferred on the German women.

In spite of East Germany's dominance in international competition, Babashoff maintained her rigorous, daily regimen in preparation for Montreal. Meanwhile, steroid use on the East German teams continued. Though the swimmers were aware of the strange and unsettling effects of the "blue pill," any and all objections were summarily dismissed by their coaches, who were under the thumb of the Stasi; the East German secret police, as well as the state.

Brown effectively builds the suspense leading to the 1976 Summer games in Montreal, where the American men and women's swim teams were pitted against heavily favored East German squads. Though steroids would have a negligible impact on the East German men, who were annihilated in competition against the American men's swim team, it is heartbreaking to see the footage of the U.S. women's team lose again and again to the East Germans, who often won their races by a embarrassing wide-margins. In spite of the American swimmer's breaking many of their own records in Montreal, the East German squad's domination troubled Babashoff. As we see in the film, her veiled comments about doping among the East German swimmers invited vitriolic criticism from the media and the public, which claimed the American team were being bad sports. Another comment from an American journalist would dismiss American team's protests as spoiled behavior. An interview with an American journalist who participated in the vituperative, anti-American swim team attacks has to this day never retracted his condemnation. What seemed clear to Babashoff and her teammates was hardly so to the rest of the world, who regarded East Germany's domination as the fruit of superior training techniques.

Like a true storyteller, Brown saves the thrilling climax for last as the drama builds to the Women's 4x100 relay on the final day of swimming competition. Having been kept off the upper-most spot on the podium for the games entire while the East German swimmers collected gold medal after gold medal, the relay was the team's final opportunity to come away with a gold. The relay allows Brown the tried and true narrative device of pitting the underdog vs the heavy favorite, while a sense of revenge colors the proceedings for the swimmers and the viewer. How it plays out is one of the remarkable stories in Olympic history and an astonishing sequence in the film.

Brown's documentary could have succumbed to the good democracy vs the evil communists chestnut we've seen in many narrative films but as we see, he reaches for the deeper implications of the Olympic competition. Listening to the German swimmers in present day, recollecting their experiences as athletes in a communist government, one can't help but feel sympathetic; knowing the women (and men) were pawns of a totalitarian government determined to push a political agenda. Far from being ignorant hayseeds, the East German teams were fully aware of what was being done to them. Many are contrite, though one swimmer who is seemingly unapologetic asks the pertinent question: how many other athletes did what we did? With doping now a widespread, systemic problem, her question is disturbingly pertinent.

In the end, we see how both teams became victims of a diabolical program. One team is unfairly robbed of fair-play and maybe a lion's share of gold medals, while the other are made unwitting guinea pigs; their femininity scientifically inhumanely suppressed with the state's consent. Brown makes us aware there were no real winners on either team. Though Babashoff feels some sense of vindication, knowing she was eventually proved correct about her suspicions, we can still detect the bitterness and anger in her voice, which is understandable and justified.

Brown's story is exceptionally moving. I felt anger, puzzlement, wonder, vengefulness and elation; an array of emotions only a master storyteller can elicit from his audience. But we also see a more thoughtful perspective, one that considers the point-of-view of the so-called villains. In the brilliant film that is The Last Gold, we find the only villain was the East German government and its preposterous, ideological quest to tamper with nature.