The Boss

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Ben Falcone/Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Bell, Peter Dinklage, Ella Anderson, Kathy Bates and Cecily Strong

Melissa McCarthy has had some hits and misses in this phase of her nascent leading-lady career. She seems to be settling into playing strong women with crude vocabularies and uncouth manners and she does both well. She can be funny if she doesn't linger in the course, low-brow neighborhood of the lowest common denominator.

In her new film, The Boss, directed by her husband Ben Falcone, McCarthy plays Michelle Darnell, a self-made, wealthy woman who has achieved a respectable level of fame and celebrity as a savvy business person. But we first see her as a child in an orphanage; in a series of shots that show her unsuccessful attempts to find a family. First we see her as a little girl being greeted by the nun, after one family returns her to the orphanage, then later as a bitter teen, who walks angrily past the sister after another family rejects her. We know immediately the subconscious quest for family will be one of the film's major themes.

The story picks up years later as we see Darnell standing before a capacity crowd in an arena celebrating her success as an investment mogul. In a following scene, the tough-talking, avatar of confidence is arrested for insider trading, leaving her assistants Claire (Kristen Bell) and Tito (Cedric Yarbrough) out of jobs.

It comes to light that her arrest was helped along by Darnell's former colleague and lover Renault (an amusing Peter Dinklage), whose rancor stems from a promotion awarded to her over him during their meteoric rise in the business world.

We also discover that Darnell's success can be attributed to her mentor now enemy Ida Marquette (a funny Kathy Bates), whose negative, expletive-laden assessment of her protege on television is one of the film's funnier moments.

Unable to avoid jail-time, Darnell is forced to spend time behind bars in a cushy, white-collar penal institution. Claire visits her boss in jail to announce her resignation. She cites her single-parent situation as her reason for leaving and seeking gainful employment elsewhere. We get a sense of Darnell's rabid narcissism when she tells Claire she didn't know she had a child.

Following her release from prison, Darnell finds her properties and money have been seized, leaving her without a home. Her means of survival alarmingly reduced, she shows up at Claire's apartment, luggage in tow. Claire's daughter Rachel (Ella Anderson) answers the buzzer and, seeing Darnell in the street below, calls her a criminal and refuses to let her in. When she comes home, Claire finds Darnell sleeping in the street and is forced to to put her up after discovering her former boss is without property and income. Their time together as roommates is predictably fraught with frustration as Darnell proves to be a taxing presence who is prone to lie on the couch all day and take up space in the apartment.

The story and the situation change when Darnell becomes involved in Rachel's girl-scout-like group. After attending a regular meeting with Rachel, Darnell shows she has her own ideas about how the organization should be run, which pits her against a mother; Helen (a funny Annie Mumolo) who refuses to compete with an upstart. The combative exchanges that follow are funny, as Darnell's aggressive notions run afoul of Helen's.

In sampling Claire's excellent brownies at home, Darnell sees the brownies have profit potential, which prompts her to draw up a new business plan for a new organization called Darnell's Darlings. Her idea takes the Girl Scouts concept further by allowing the girls to earn a commission from sales on the brownies; a campaign Darnell believes will impart important life lessons about business and self-sufficiency. Darnell's own take-no-prisoner business ethic is implemented as she enlists Rachel's help in recruiting the toughest girls to become Darlings. The scene where Darnell and the red-beret clad Darlings take to the streets is fairly outrageous and over-the-top as they engage in a violent melee with Helen's girls, who happen to be canvassing the same neighborhoods.

As one might guess, Darnell's organization becomes a success and before long, it draws the attention of the local media. But just as Darnell, Claire and Rachel begin to enjoy the success of the new venture, Renault catches wind of the project and schemes to seize control of it. When Darnell sees Claire talking to Renault in the street, she immediately assumes her friend has sold out to her competitor. In a fit of vindictiveness, Darnell sells the organization to Renault, only to discover that Claire's exchange with Renault wasn't about selling out but rejecting his offer.

Up until this point in the narrative the movie was funny enough to be entertaining. Darnell's crass, hyper-aggressive business tactics are a humorous contrast to Claire's more compassionate, level-headed approach to salesmanship. Unfortunately, the second half of the film, where Claire, her former co-worker and beau, Stephan (Timothy Simons) and Darnell form a plan to break into Renault's office building to retrieve the contract that awards him ownership of Darnell's Darlings, is less funny--and fun--than the first half. As the film stumbles toward a predictable denouement, we know Darnell's issues about family will be resolved and her new organization will bring financial success to Claire.

The cast was quite good, particularly Kathy Bates, who made me chuckle in the few scenes she was allotted. Kristen Bell was a charming and effective straight-man (person? woman?) for Melissa McCarthy while little Ella Anderson showed off comedic chops of her own. Peter Dinklage's recent work on Game of Thrones doesn't allow him room to for comedic expression but he is quite funny here.

This is a different comedic role for McCarthy but the script, which she co-wrote, could have been better. I hope she reaches for better roles.

One attribute the movie can be commended for is its predominantly female cast, who carry most of the movie.

Though the movie's message promotes female self-reliance and assertiveness, I don't know that the brutal means by which they are achieved are totally positive. But this is a comedy; one that is given free rein to be hyperbolic so my reservation isn't totally valid.

I laughed the first half of the film and yawned the second. I can't sum up my reaction more succinctly or accurately. The Boss comes up short but at least it didn't scrape bottom.

Weiner

Directors: Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg

I belong to a film club that meets once a month to watch an advance screening of a forthcoming flick. We never know what the film will be prior to showtime, which always lends a delicious air of mystery to the proceedings. At our recent gathering, we saw directors Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg's new documentary Weiner; a behind the scenes film of former Congressman Anthony Weiner's ill-fated, 2013 New York City Mayoral campaign for the democratic primary. For those who may not remember or have ever heard of the former Congressman, Weiner is notorious for posting photos of his junk on Twitter in 2011. Though he initially denied the posting, he eventually admitted to his indiscretion. Weiner subsequently resigned from Congress.

Having learned what we were to see, I winced; feeling I didn't care to revisit what most New York residents, including myself, had been force-fed by the media at the time. But after seeing Kriegman and Steinberg's ruthlessly candid documentary, I realized their film has achieved something rare in documentary cinema. Having both served as Weiner's former staff members, the directors were granted fly-on-the-wall access to his life and campaign during the notorious 2013 campaign. A politician granting filmmakers nearly unrestricted freedom is virtually unheard of in documentaries and a viewer may wonder after watching the revealing film why Weiner would have consented to something beyond his control. In Weiner, we see how the former congressman's sordid blunders from his past resurface, only to leave his mayoral campaign in ruins. But in the film, we come to understand how his fall from political viability to disgrace and pariahdom affected not only himself and his campaign but his staff, constituents and most notably his wife; Huma Abedin; one-time aide and Deputy Chief of Staff to Hillary Clinton.

The film begins in the early phase of Weiner's campaign as early poll numbers show a healthy lead. We get the sense that his constituents and the New York voters have overlooked the Twitter incident that scuttled his congressional career and are ready to forgive. We meet his staff and his wife Huma, who plays an active role in his campaign; serving as advisor, counsel and conscience--all in an unofficial capacity. We learn early on that Bill Clinton officiated at his wedding and that Huma bravely stood by her husband at his darkest hour. And though the Weiner is the film's cynosure, Huma's own political ambitions hover about the campaign as a position on Hillary's presidential campaign looms in her future.

One can't help but be astounded at how Kriegman and Steinberg's cameras are allowed to operate in sensitive areas, such as his war room and his home. Their film captures all the anxieties of the campaign; intense media scrutiny, never-ending speeches and endless appearances.

Weiner's story and the documentary take a dramatic turn as a more damning indiscretion comes to light. Another Tweet, posted after Weiner resigned from Congress, is unearthed. The photo of Weiner, showing him nude from the waist down, is made public and seized by the media. The recipient of the photo; a woman named Sydney Leathers, becomes a sordid character of interest and another major embarrassment to Weiner and his campaign. The camera not only records Weiner's humiliation as he presses on with his campaign but more poignantly, Huma's disgust as the strain of another scandal begins its assault.

One of the film's more powerful scenes takes place in a hotel room as Weiner apologizes to the angry and bewildered members of his inner circle. For a filmmaker, this is a priceless moment; the emotions are raw and no one is very aware of the camera; every response and comment is unguarded. The staff is naturally angry, as is Huma, who tells the PR manager to smile when she leaves the building to deflect questions from the press.

We see some of the media fallout as Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart mock and deride Weiner, while news T.V. offers endless commentary and analysis. We also see what Weiner is subjected to in the streets as a patron in what looks like a Jewish bakery calls the mayoral candidate on his behavior, which leads to an angry exchange captured on video. The verbal melee becomes more fodder for the media, who spin the incident into a Weiner meltdown.

Potential for further catastrophe follows when Weiner's staff learns Sydney Leathers is waiting outside the building where he is to give his concession speech. We watch as his staff's plan to avoid her plays like a sequence from a thriller.

Interspersed throughout the film are doleful comments made by Weiner as he sits by himself in a room; reflecting on his campaign. Too bad Huma's thoughts and reflections aren't included; her comments would have been priceless.

Though Weiner's scandals became catnip for online T.V. satire, there is nothing funny about Weiner's political collapse, as the film effectively demonstrates. It is particularly heartbreaking to see older footage of Weiner in action on Capitol Hill; his feisty resolve and aggressiveness in the face of congressional opposition show a politician with conviction and passion.

Watching the documentary, one can't help but feel social media was really the agent of his downfall. Twitter's dangers and thrills must have been irresistible to him, which leaves one wondering how an intelligent man was unable to avoid its pitfalls. Twitter was no less alluring to his femme fatale; Sydney Leathers. One also comes away from the film feeling mostly revulsion for the media; how it behaves like a circling herd of rabid scavengers; waiting to pounce on the weak and vulnerable. We see Leathers appearance on Howard Stern; how the shock-jock prods the young girl to seek out Weiner for his and his audience's amusement.

The audience I watched the film with had varied reactions to Weiner's comportment during the campaign. Some felt his narcissism was his most salient quality (what politician isn't narcissistic--to some degree?), others thought he seemed blithely unconcerned about the effects of the scandal on his wife. I can definitely see that. Most seemed unsympathetic but one reaction that seemed universal was the pity felt for Huma. It is safe to say no one endured more humiliation and pain Weiner's wife. The numerous shots of her expressions; pain, mortification and weariness all tell a story of their own.

As for Weiner's psychology, we can only surmise; the film observes, it doesn't analyze. What makes a man commit self-destructive acts--twice? Showing off his endowment is obviously a power thing for Weiner, but if it ruined his career on Capitol Hill, why did he jeopardize his political career further after his resignation?

A promising political career in tatters and captured on film, no less. One of the directors asked Weiner why he would allow someone to film he and his campaign? His response: I don't know. The audience may feel as puzzled.

Weiner isn't an easy film to watch; it doesn't invite ridicule and mockery but pity for a troubled politician. The film's greatest lesson? There are some body parts that should remain buried under fabric--and off of Twitter.

Demolition

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Jean-Marc Vallee/Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper, Judah Lewis and Heather Lind

Jake Gyllenhaal has become adept at playing dark, oddball characters who contend with bizarre situations or are thrust into them involuntarily. His character in director Jean-Marc Vallee's new film; Demolition is no less fascinating or strange as he plays a man who slowly becomes unhinged after he loses his wife in a violent car collision. Vallee's film keeps us emotionally involved in the protagonist's quest to establish an emotional connection to a deceased wife to whom he denied love and attention and if his arc seems a little too pat, it is nevertheless unpredictable and often full of jarring surprises.

Gyllenhaal plays Davis, who we see riding with his wife Julia (Heather Lind) down a New York street. She chides him for not listening to her and his general inattentiveness; drawing on his inability to deal with their leaky refrigerator as an example. As if to confirm his wife's assessment, he barely listens to his wife's querulous patter. A second later, another car strikes their car violently on his wife's side. Moments later, we see a series of images in Davis' head of his wife flash before our eyes, which serve as a visual segue to a shot of Julia's father Phil (the superb Chris Cooper) walking toward him in a hospital; nearly collapsing from the knowledge that his daughter has just passed. What is particularly unusual is Davis' reaction, which is decidedly impassive. Even more bewildering is what he does shortly thereafter. After trying to buy peanut M&Ms' from a vending machine, the candy becomes stuck; prompting Davis to complain to a hospital staff member. The worker deflects Davis' complaint by informing him that a vending machine company is responsible for malfunctions. Davis approaches the machine to snap a iPhone shot of the vending machine's address. The scene is astonishing for several reasons. Almost incomprehensible is his glaring indifference to the news of his wife's death but even more so is his craving for candy and his displeasure at being cheated. Is Davis numb; too shocked to grasp his loss? Or was his wife right about his aloofness?

The story takes a stranger turn when Davis writes a letter of complaint to the vending machine company at the funeral reception; detailing not only the candy incident at the hospital but the loss of his wife. The letter we hear Davis read in voice-over gives us background information on his life and his wife, including his employment at his father-in-law's investment firm. While at the reception, we also see Davis practicing a grieved expression in the mirror.

Davis surprises his father-in-law and his colleagues when he shows up for work shortly after the funeral. Not giving an explanation for his presence, Davis proceeds with business.

Something Phil says to Davis inspires more peculiar behavior when he tells his son-in-law that sometimes it is necessary to dismantle and take something apart to understand its insides. In scenes that follow, we see Davis dismantle his refrigerator as he tries to ascertain the cause of the leak and a creaky bathroom stall door at his office; separating the discrete parts neatly on the floor. And most confounding of all; he strips his office computer; leaving the wreck in myriad parts on the office floor. Phil's dismay prompts Davis' compulsory leave of absence.

Davis' letters to the vending machine company become frequent, which elicit a response from a customer service representative named Karen, who begins following him surreptitiously. When Karen agrees to meet Davis at a diner, she watches him from the parking lot and calls him on his cellphone to tell him she can't join him. But in the days following, she continues to follow him and read his letters. Davis tries to find her at work then at her house. To his surprise, he encounters her boss at the door, who is more than just a little angry and puzzled to see a customer on his doorstep at 11pm. Karen (Naomi Watts) is naturally flabbergasted at the sight of Davis but accepts his latest letter before discouraging him to return.

But Karen's boyfriend leaves on a trip, allowing Davis to visit her at home. One might expect the friendship to quickly morph into something sexual but instead we the makings of a quirky friendship. Soon Davis becomes acquainted with Karen's son Chris (Judah Lewis, in a performance that is sure to make Hollywood notice), who offers him a gruff greeting sprinkled with four-letter words. Davis learns Karen's relationship with her teenage son is troubled by a lack of connection in a way that echoes Davis' problems with his wife.

As Davis' friendship with Karen burgeons, he becomes friendly with Chris; discovering a troubled teen in need of an ear and and fatherly companionship. Davis learns Chris has been suspended from school for giving a too-honest and too-graphic account of an incident in the Afghan War. With time on his hands, Chris joins Davis in his efforts to demolish his home.

It is fairly clear at this point in the film that Davis' obsession with dismantling objects and demolishing his own home is a metaphor for his attempt to break down his life and as his father-in-law said; "to understand what is in the inside." It also serves as a symbolic means to understanding his failed relationship with his wife, who haunts his waking life as a specter.

The more time Davis spends with Karen and Chris, the more he becomes estranged from his job and his in-laws, particularly Phil, who is angered by his son-in-law apparent apathy to a scholarship fund he has formed in honor of his daughter's memory.

Strangeness abounds in Davis' behavior as he and Chris test a bullet-proof vest in the woods with Karen's boyfriend's gun. Chris shoots Davis in the side and just as he recovers from the bullet's ferocious impact, Chris shoots him again. The scene, though harrowing in its own way, shows the growing trust between Davis and Chris. When Chris becomes more comfortable with Davis, he confides in him one day about his sexual confusion. The issue is made more poignant when Davis catches Chris dressing up in the bathroom.

In spite of Davis' behavior, which continues on its destructive course (he buys a bulldozer on e-bay to facilitate his home's collapse, only to be thwarted by the defective vehicle), he comes closer to dealing with his wife's death on emotional terms. But shocking developments are never in short supply in Vallee's film. While demolishing dresser drawers in his home, he discovers his wife's ultra-sound photo. Davis' judgement being unsound, he chooses to confront his in-laws about it during the scholarship-fund awards ceremony. As he heads to the door, his mother-in-law reveals another shocker about the baby.

As the story winds down, a few threads are tied-up though not neatly. Davis' issues with his wife are resolved in a semi-satisfying manner and the film's final scene reveals a rapprochement that is significant for its happy resolution.

So much is happening in Vallee's film, it is amazing how the various characters and scenes manage to cohere. The tone shifts at times, from dark drama to dark comedy to blithely surreal to upbeat conclusion. I'm still not sure if the film works as a whole but so much of it is too wonderfully eccentric to dismiss. One of my favorite shots in the film is of Davis walking toward the camera on a crowded city sidewalk. As he moves forward, one notices that the crowd is effectively moving backward--a nice, subtle, visual touch.

As much as I enjoyed the film, there is something about the end that seems incongruent to everything that came before. Or maybe I've become suspicious of films that insist on buoyant endings. One could pose a counterargument that the ending is well-earned. And does the demolition metaphor work? Is it too heavy-handed?

Vallee's soundtrack is quite delightful. I like music that is directly incorporated into the story. Heart's Crazy on You is not only part of the soundtrack but the song itself becomes part of a question Davis poses to a gathering of his office colleagues during a meeting.

I like Vallee's film. I found its flaws to be minor or negligible. I don't think it's the great film it had the potential to be but it worked well enough. Its limited release will work against it but it will find its way to those who will appreciate its oddities.

Midnight Special

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Jeff Nichols/Starring: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Sam Shepard, Jaeden Lieberher and Bill Camp

Jeff Nichols, director of the creepy and intense Take Shelter, now ventures into the sci-fi realm with Midnight Special, which comes with its own measure of intensity. Joining Nichols is his frequent collaborator; the always impressive Michael Shannon, whose tightly-wound performance ensures the drama always simmers. While maintaining an exciting, kinetic pace, the story's mysteries are dispensed sparingly until its wondrous climax--which elicits a sense of wonder--mitigates the film's heightened edginess.

Nichols' film begins in what is a chapel on the grounds of a doomsday cult compound in Texas. The cult's reverend, Calvin Meyer (Sam Shepard), has just been accosted by FBI personnel during his service, while his bewildered congregation looks on. Questioning the reverend behind closed doors, we learn the FBI is looking for Meyer's adopted son Alton (Jaeden Lieberher); a child the parish looks upon as their savior. Why would a little boy be of importance to both the government and a cult? NSA analyst Paul Sevier (Adam Driver) gets to the heart of the matter when he asks how and why a little boy would have encrypted codes to a government satellite?
The boy becomes more of a mystery when Meyer tells the agents the boy speaks in tongues.

As the FBI and NSA hunt for Alton, Meyer dispatches two cult members to find the boy and return him to the compound. Meanwhile, Alton's real father; Roy (Michael Shannon) and his best friend Lucas (Joel Edgerton) have taken the boy from the compound and are racing off to a place unknown to the audience. Judging from Roy and Lucas' desperate determination, we gather they are fully aware other interested parties are hot on their tail as they speed down the highway. We first catch a glimpse of Alton in Roy's car as we see the young boy in odd, blue goggles, though we aren't sure of their purpose. As Roy and Lucas plot their course, Alton is enthralled with a Superman comic book. Roy gently chides Lucas for giving Alton comic books after the boy asks about Kryptonite. We learn comic books were a pleasure denied Alton in the compound.

While on the run, their car becomes known to the authorities, making a safe refuge a high priority. They visit a former member of the cult, who offers them shelter and anonymity. During their stay, the house begins to shake violently, which prompts Roy and Lucas to enter Alton's bedroom, where they find a blinding ray of light connecting his eyes to this friend's. Roy and Lucas manage to free their friend from the link and scold their friend for daring to look into Alton's eyes. Their security compromised, Roy, Lucas and Alton flee.

Nichols; a master at holding the audience captive in an unnerving and sustained state of suspense, slowly reveals Alton's secrets. Though the origin of Alton's extraordinary powers is withheld until later in the film, we get some sense of the scope of his abilities. During a stop at convenience store, Alton wanders away from the vehicle and into the parking lot. There he stares at the sky until Roy hurries to his side from inside the store. As they both look up into the sky, they (and we) see glowing orbs of light, which begin to bombard the parking lot. The three drive away hurriedly and later, during the FBI and NSA's investigation, we find that Alton has essentially destroyed a satellite designed to warn against nuclear attack. Other, less destructive powers emerge. While driving, Alton begins to speak Spanish. Roy tells Lucas that it is something he does often and while turning the radio dial, we find that Alton is actually repeating a Spanish DJ's radio patter word for word.

Roy and Lucas manage to find Alton's mother Sarah (Kirsten Dunst), who takes them in and hides them. We find that Sarah gave up her son in the past due to her inability to care for him.

Alton is ultimately kidnapped after Meyer's armed thugs shoot Lucas and Roy. But before they can give chase, they discover Alton has been captured by the military and government agents.

During Alton's captivity, he is held in an empty, white room. His goggled face gives the impression of someone strange and alien. In one of the film's best scenes, Alton and Sevier meet inside the chamber while the other personnel are dismissed. Alton tells Sevier that he is neither the savior the cult craves nor the weapon the government believes he is. Sevier becomes sympathetic to Alton's plight, knowing the boy must reach the place which his father and Lucas intend to find. After helping Alton to reunite with Roy and Lucas, Sevier handcuffs himself to make it appear as though he was overpowered. Refusing Sevier's request to come along, Alton, Roy, Lucas and Sarah speed away.

In time, Alton finally reveals his true nature and why he must reach the area for which he and the others have risked their lives.

Nichols doesn't cheat the audience with anti-climactic nonsense but satisfies our intense curiosity about the boy. The movie's otherworldly, uplifting end is a fascinating, dramatic counterpoint to the scary, sometimes violent story that precedes it.

What is particularly interesting about Nichol's film is how he chooses to parcel out expository information, which is always dispensed on a need-to-know basis. Without becoming bogged down in clunky, pace-hobbling, explication, Nichols keeps the audience wired by doling out discrete quanta of information about the characters and Alton's mission. Though the movie moves along at brisk clip, Nichols keeps the story and action tight.

Nichols collaborations with Shannon have been fruitful and succeeds again. It is an exceptional trick of casting to have Joel Edgerton; another actor known for his edgy performances, to play Shannon's sidekick. I was surprised to see Kirsten Dunst; I hadn't seen her in a film in some years but she holds her own against two dramatic stalwarts; Shannon and Edgerton.

I find distressing to learn Nichols' film is only playing in very select theaters. I never saw one advertisement or trailer for the film. How is such a terrific film supposed to find an audience when little care has been assigned its promotion? Is it because Shannon and Edgerton aren't Chris Hemsworth or Ryan Reynolds in the handsome hunk department? A major disservice has been done to this film. It deserves far better.

Like 10 Cloverfield Lane, Nichols' film appropriates a genre to tell a compelling and thrilling story. It moves along, never forgetting its audience and it rewards us for our attention. It promises and doesn't renege.

Hello, My Name is Doris

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Michael Showalter/Starring: Sally Field, Tyne Daly, Max Greenfield, Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Reaser, Stephen Root, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Peter Gallagher

Sally Field is an infrequent sight on movie screens these days but when she does appear, she is memorable. She acquitted herself very well in Spielberg's Lincoln and has again in the recent Hello, My Name is Doris; director Michael Showalter's new comedy. Field is an old hat at comedy; having honed her talent on T.V. in shows like Gidget and The Flying Nun. She brings her quirky charm to her new role, which helps brighten the story considerably. Though Showalter's film is unassuming, it manages to be fun and surprisingly entertaining.

Sally Field plays Doris Miller; a dowdy, aging, unmarried woman who toils at a job as a data-entry clerk in a Brooklynese company where she is surrounded by younger, hipper co-workers. Unlike her colleagues, who reside in the trendy borough to the south, Doris ferries to work from her home on the less-hip Staten Island; a fact that isn't lost on at least one of her co-workers.

Doris spends her days with her close friend Roz (Tyne Daly, who makes a small part crackle) and resisting her brother Todd's efforts to clear their deceased mother's house of accumulated junk, which she stubbornly refuses to shed. Doris finds herself at odds with Todd's wife Cynthia (Wendi McLendon-Covey), who is more insistent about the junk-removal. The situation becomes problematic; prompting Todd to force his sister to see a therapist about her pack-rat problem.

But for Doris, a more significant development unfolds at her job. A young and handsome, newly-transferred employee in upper-management named John Fremont(Max Greenfield) makes Doris' acquaintance in the elevator on his first day, where they find themselves pressed awkwardly against each other. During his introduction to the staff, he surprises Doris and the young employees when he mentions meeting her in the elevator. Thrilled about John's recollection, Doris begins fantasizing about romantic encounters between them; only to be jarred back to reality at inopportune times.

Smitten by his charms, Doris and Roz's grand-daughter invent a Facebook persona to find out more about him, including his favorite band. Doris buys a CD of the band and casually leaves it lying on her desk for John to see, which he does. Thrilled that John notices it, she buys a ticket for their concert in Brooklyn. She also surprises her brother and sister-in-law the day of the concert when she abruptly excuses herself from a dinner to catch a ferry to see the band. Of course she runs into John at the show, and his ecstatic response at seeing Doris only intensifies her attraction and her hopes of romancing him. The story takes a fantastic, barely plausible turn when the band notices Doris in the audience and ask to meet her after the show. Enchanted by her colorful concert-wear and her unique sense of style, they invite her to be on the cover for their new CD.

As Doris falls further for John, she ignores the possibility that his interest in her could be strictly platonic though Roz, more attuned to reality, warns her; afraid her friend may be hurt.

During the course of the story, we learn more about Doris' past. We learn the company decided to keep her after it merged with another company. We also learn of a broken engagement to a man who moved to Flagstaff, expecting her to follow, only to find Doris was unable to leave her mother alone. The scene where she shares this story with John is quite touching.

Later we learn that she sacrificed college and a life to care for her mother while her brother pursued his ambitions. This sore spot in their relationship is addressed during a scene where Doris, her therapist Dr. Edwards (Elizabeth Reaser), Todd and Cynthia gather to deal with the clutter in Doris' mother's house. Though the doctor's efforts to assist in sorting the junk are helpful, Cynthia's impatience brings the already combustible situation to a head; causing Doris to explode. She forces everyone out but not before mentioning her sacrifices for personal happiness to her brother.
The junk Doris intends to hold onto is a pretty handy metaphor for the anger and disappointment of her past from which she refuses to free herself.

Doris experiences a painful setback in her pursuit of John when she discovers he is seeing a young, blonde beauty. Following them one night as they stroll the city, she finds she is unable to avoid running into them. John introduces her to his girlfriend, who immediately takes to Doris; inviting her to a social knitting circle. Doris' passion for John culminates during a Thanksgiving dinner for his friends when she finally expresses her feelings for him. What follows seems inevitable and unsurprising and it precedes some radical change in her life. In the end, Doris realizes she must make amends to Roz, who she has forsaken in her fantastic flights of romance.

Showalter's story is mainly about Doris' awakening and her search for self-affirmation. In earlier scenes, she becomes enchanted with the advice of self-help guru Willy Williams (Peter Gallagher, perfectly cast for the role), who dispenses motivational advice she takes to heart. One of Williams' go-to self-help gems finds utility when he insists impossible is really a contraction of I'm-Possible.

In the final scene, the audience is tricked one last time into believing one of her fantasies is real, but a ambiguous moment thereafter renders the story and her life open to possibilities. In the end, she comes to realize her friendship with Roz is all-sustaining.

Showalter's film isn't great and I feel I've seen some of it elsewhere but works on its own modest terms. Some of it is overwrought and overstated. Doris' look is a little too dowdy and matronly to be real (particularly her horn-rimmed glasses). But Sally Field makes us care about Doris. She has had her disappointments and one failed relationship but she isn't pathetic or needy.

Hello, My Name is Doris is a pleasing indie flick that is small but not small-minded. Sally Field is a joy to watch;giving one of her better comedic performances in some time. Many of her roles in the last decade or so have been very serious but here she reminds us that her roots are in comedy. Her Doris is not to be pitied but liked. It is safe to say I feel the same for the film.

I Saw the Light

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Marc Abraham/Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen, Bradley Whitford, Cherry Jones, Maddie Hasson and David Krumholtz

I don't know if the world needs a narrative film on country music great Hank Williams but you can be sure it didn't need a sloppy, clunky and junky biopic like director Marc Abraham's I Saw the Light. If a film features a name cast but opens only in one local theater, you can be pretty sure industry folk know something you don't and what they know they deliberately withhold. They only hope you'll overlook the stench wafting out of the theater and throw caution and greenbacks to the wind. A what a reek Abraham's film generates! If you didn't know the subject was Hank Williams, you might think the movie was about any philandering, drunk musician. But its single greatest flaw is its casual regard for Williams' music, which the story treats almost as an intrusion; a pesky interloper that keeps getting in the way of the seamier side of the singer's life.

The trendy aesthetic the film adopts is the black and white to color imagery seen in another current music biopic; Born to Be Blue. We see and hear two men from William's life; filmed in the recollective black and white of the present while their memories--depicted in color--represent the past. One of the men; famed music publisher Fred Rose (Bradley Whitford), shares facts of Williams' life with an unseen interviewer (documentarian?). Rose appears periodically throughout the film as a kind of narrator and purveyor of tragic details though we never learn just who he is talking to.

We see Williams (Tom Hiddleston) just before he achieves super-stardom; playing radio gigs and honky-tonks in his Alabamian home-state with his band and wife Audrey (Elizabeth Olsen), who lends her vocals to the performances. Shortly thereafter, we see the couple exchange vows at a gas station in Andalusia, Alabama, as the proprietor performs the service. Though the couple shows outward signs of marital bliss, Audrey experiences frustration as she tries to share the stage spotlight with her husband. But she finds her marriage trying for other reasons; one of them being her mother-in-law Lillie (Cherry Jones, who is continually upstaged by set props), who she battles constantly for influence in Hank's life. Another glaring issue is Hank's drinking, which threatens the marriage and becomes a professional liability.

Eager and ambitious, Hank's dream of playing at the Grand Ole Opry hits a snag when the legendary venue's director tells him to come back when he has achieved more success. Undeterred, Hank is able to record a single, Lovesick Blues, over Rose's protestations about the song's suitability. The single becomes a hit and before long, Williams receives an invitation to perform at the Opry.

As Williams' sordid behavior on the road becomes habitual, Audrey begins to express her disgust with his womanizing and before long Hank finds himself barred from their home. Soon after, divorce proceedings commence.

When not enthralled with the dramas offstage, the film manages to devote some time to Williams onstage; performing some of the songs for which he is known. Hiddleston does a respectable job performing the songs and doing his level best to appear Williams-like. As with every music biopic I see, I had hoped to see some scenes of song-craft, giving us a sense of the artistry behind the music but I guess directors consider such scenes un-cinematic.

We see more of Williams relationships and his marriage to Billie Jean Jones (Maddie Hasson). We do see him achieve his dream of playing the Grand Ole Opry, which is followed by his return to Alabama as a country music hero. He is able to accomplish both in between pissing women off and his passion for the bottle.

And though we see Williams sing Your Cheatin' Heart and Why Don't You Love Me, we get to hear precious few of his other classics. How does a film about Hank Williams not include even a snippet of Jambalaya? Or Kaw-Liga; songs that stand as tall as Hey Good Lookin', if not taller? Why must the music take a backseat to scenes such as one where a doctor diagnoses Williams' chronic back problems as spina bifida, a sequence that does little to shed light on the man except to explain his pain. Are we all dying to know about Hank Williams' lower back aches? Yes, two great country songs were preempted by spina bifida. As for the influences behind his music, Williams' love for gospel as a child is mentioned in passing.

When tragedy strikes late in the film, we don't feel a sense of heavy loss but relief that such a tepid film has mercifully come to an end. We don't even get obligatory end-titles telling us about Williams' musical legacy, just an abrupt cut to the closing credits. Maybe that's for the better.

Hiddleston and Olsen are fine in a flop. Too bad for Hiddleston; playing Williams' is a refreshing departure from his role as Loki in the Thor franchise.

The formulaic, music biopic narrative we've come to know: artist hungry for stardom--artist secures brass ring--artist womanizes and abuses substances--artist dies at young age--may as well be chiseled as a script blueprint on a bronze plate for unimaginative future filmmakers to follow. If you really want to know about Williams' life, you could do far worse than read a Wikipedia entry. But if you prefer to watch a flick about a musician who romances a few chicks, drinks lethally and sings a few famous tunes, then this is your stop. Just don't expect more.

Krisha

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Trey Edward Shults/Starring: Krisha Fairchild, Trey Edward Shults, Bill Wise and Olivia Grace Applegate

Krisha; the first feature film by writer/director Trey Edward Shults, is a dark, disturbing, character study that allows us to form an indelible impression of its subject with minimal dialogue and change of setting. Shults' film creates a movingly tragic portrait of a woman whose troubled past has made the present a terrible nightmare. The story and characterizations are crafted with economy and precision but in spite of its appropriately slim 83 minute running time, Shults' film seems quite complete.

The opening scenes are memorable for what they forebode and how they establish character and setting. The very first shot is of a white-haired woman's face as she stares directly into the camera. Her scared, anxious expression and baggy eyes leave the audience puzzled and unnerved. Shortly thereafter, we see the same woman in a tracking shot as she tromps through suburban yards in search of a particular house; her dog and luggage in tow. When she finds the correct residence, she is welcomed inside by a sizeable group of people, presumably family. The woman; Krisha (Krisha Fairchild, in a superlative performance), is greeted warmly by the those inside as the camera pans the room to show us the various family members while discordant music plays on the soundtrack. The harsh, strident, score reflects something dangerous and imbalanced in Krisha's presence; perhaps a troubled state of mind or something terrible to come. But what? Who is this woman who can set the audience on edge when we know nothing about her?

After securing lodging within the house, we see Krisha open a box with a label on its cover to discourage curiosity. Inside it we see bottles of pills and sundry items. She quickly opens one of the bottles and downs some of the contents. Does she have a drug dependency? If the pills are health-related, what precisely is she suffering from? Or are the pills psychotropic? Shults leaves us with many questions.

As Krisha interacts with the large gathering, she takes on the labor-intensive task of cooking a turkey for what is presumably Thanksgiving. As she painstakingly prepares the turkey and fixings, we also see her interact with her sister, what are most likely young nephews and brothers-in-law. All seems fairly normal until she asks one of the young men to join her for a private conversation; to "catch-up" on things. From his body language and reluctance to chat, we intuit a mother/son relationship that is anything but happy. This is confirmed in later scenes as Krisha eavesdrops on her son, Trey (Trey Edward Shults) and an uncle, who offers him fatherly advice, which denies her participation. We begin to see other disturbing signs of Krisha' frail, mental health as she surreptitiously searches through bureau drawers.

Conversations between herself and a brother-in-law seem amicable but are less so later when he makes not-so-friendly comments about her past behavior. While the family interacts and plays together, we see Krisha steal away to take her pills and later, as her son goes to lengths to avoid her and her family keeps her at a cautious arms-length, she slowly becomes unhinged. Confiscating a bottle of wine, it becomes apparent her alcoholic past has been her bane and the wrecking-ball of her relationships.

The family dinner is where Krisha suffers a total collapse; first dropping the turkey on the kitchen floor in a booze-fueled mishap then confronting the family at the table; accusing her sister of turning her son against her, which results in her dismissal from the table. The coup de grace comes when her son disowns her.

By the final frame, which reprises the first shot, we have a fairly complete picture of Krisha's life and failures and can easily ascertain the particulars of her future, which is decidedly grim.

I like the way Shults' film takes its time; doling out information slowly; forcing the audience to piece Krisha's life together from her relationships as the story unfolds.

A good challenge for a filmmaker is to make a compelling drama in one location; a house with fixed array of characters. Shults manages to keep the audience on edge; we feel almost certain Krisha will have a violent episode, but we're never sure to whom it will be directed or if it will claim a victim. She is a ticking time bomb and a frightening one at that. Repeated private calls to a boyfriend tells of another failed relationship, which contributes to her spiral.

Krisha Fairchild, who I understand is the director's real-life mother, digs deep into her character; opening Krisha's insides to show us a weak, failed mother; failed everything who has little hope of salvaging a satisfying life or overcoming her addiction. As a sixty-something trying to convince herself of her stability, we can see defeat is a more certain course. Fairchild's performance is brave and tough without a mitigating moment of sentimentality.

It would be difficult to walk away from Shults' film feeling hopeful but the truth rarely spares our feelings. That's what Krisha does; it serves us the truth about a woman's life and doesn't compromise the film's power with a last minute petition for emotional affirmations. It's tragic and not easy to watch but it doesn't lie.