[Fink on Filmmaking and Festivals] Don't Call it a Comeback...

Editing a Scene of a Character Editing a Scene in Positive Traits

So in the words of Stained "it's been a while". I should explain my absence but I'm not sure it really matters - perhaps we should just pick up right where we left off...

It's been a crazy few months since my last diary entry here at Fink on Films - this included teaching at a great little college in the Bronx. That experience included my first time teaching Screenwriting which was exhilarating, in a few months my students had really matured via a series of writing, re-writing and peer reviews: while I provided the bulk of the feedback individually to each student the course emphasized above all process from jump starting the creative process to pitching and the business side. To my surprise, I had thought the business side was the driest part of the class (although I did incorporate some material from two brilliant authorities - the Pillar Alessandra's On The Page and John August and Craig Mazin's Script Notes podcasts) but it actually proved to be beneficial to students interested in continuing to write (or at least thats what a few emails told me to my surprise). The stories ranged from very personal authentic stories to science fictions set in created universes - all impressive and interesting in their own way. The book I had used for this course is the same I'd recommend for any screenwriter - either for those starting out or writers in need of a refresher - Dave Trottier's Screenwriter's Bible.

So that's one thing - the other is a for-hire writing project that slowly but surely coming together. It's a process I can't quite share yet. Additionally we had a few screenings of Brandonwood - my feature film and discussions about its future (including a DVD and VOD release) - more to announce in the coming months as we still have a few matters to resolve before that's ready to go (including finalizing the sound mix and soundtrack). For that I found the Vimeo music store to be a great resource especially SmartSounds which is the most useful I've encountered for getting some cool low cost music that works.

So with that settled we're finally in the home stretch of Positive Traits with a few more inserts to film (we shot the film in the fall and wrapped in December - on a nights, weekends and weeknights schedule - not the way to make an indie but that's for another essay). That film is coming together although some elements we're missing either because - well they weren't captured the first time. The process of editing is an alchemy (made harder by when your computer blows up - although I take that as a sign to start again, for Stella - or in my case, John, to get his groove back). I'm still finding its groove but it remains an awfully busy time.

Another insane tidbit is that I attended four film festivals in two weeks - two as a filmmaker, one as press and the other a ticket holder (and an active one on Twitter at that - festival director Thom Powers retweeted me a few times). They were: (as filmmaker) the Buffalo International Film Festival and Bergenfield Film Festival, as press Tribeca, and as a ticket holder the Montclair Film Festival.

The best of the bunch? Interestingly enough Montclair. Under the direction of TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) Doc programer Thom Powers and a small committee Montclair was wonderful with a great mix of films over the course of a week (often only screened once) across 4-5 screens in Montclair and Upper Montclair. Exhausted from my travels I saw The Dog, Palo Alto and Dinosaur 13 - not world premiers but certainly excellent stuff. (The current hit Obvious Child also screened alongside Chinese Puzzle, Belle and Chef - along with panels discussions and guests Michael Moore and Kevin Smith)

Micheal Moore leads a panel on "Dangerous Docs" at the Montclair Film Festival

Walking away from Montclair (and I certainly don't mean to insult my hosts in Buffalo) I got the impression that this was exactly the kinds of festival Western New York needs. Buffalo suffers from a case of over-capacity combined with a narrow, Buffalo-centric way of solving problems. On the first point: the festival press suites at Tribeca were mostly crammed into narrow spaces on the 17th floor of the Hilton Fashion District, while in Buffalo I stayed at the Embassy Suites with wide hallways, lobbies and big rooms. The later is perfect for accommodating big press junkets comfortably.

With two film festivals (Buffalo Niagara and Buffalo International), both at war with each other, the impression is that it is difficult to get anything done. Both lack the fund raising apparatus of TIFF (of course) and perhaps even Montclair, however they should look to the later as an example of a fest doing it right. Montclair had a strong support mechanism in place including an army of volunteers, excellent good programing and an audience largely of folks from town who like cinema (many were members of the non-profit organization that runs the festival). The cinema culture in Buffalo is....well that's a loaded question - but certainly it can be developed and advanced with a push (and the further eventizing of the festival scene). While at big events like City of Night, Artists and Models or Torn Space Theater's shows at the grain solos I've often thought "damn, how do we get these people to come to a film screening".

There are of course some low cost ways of creating buzz and building a brand. Festivals like Tribeca and Montclair are addicting - they are about the audience more than the filmmakers (but certainly they have to attract and keep filmmakers happy to earn their entry fees). Tribeca used a few taglines including "The Golden Age of the Audience", "a New York State of Film" and "The New Rules of Film" - all excellent, all probably the product of a top tier branding agency. Montclair used a kind of lame tagline of "It's like Sundance but Jersey-ier" - I'll forgive them because they otherwise delivered the goods. But creating that kind of buzz that suggests "you're going to miss something great" or "you're going to discover something new and exciting here - and it might just be something about yourself!" makes festivals addicting. It's all about the emotional connection, it's missing from both Buffalo film festivals.

On the individual programs - BNFF's programing guide should have been simpler than it was - and  BIFF scores a win here (they created a small, nicely designed guide that fit in your pocket as well as the community announcements space at the Buffalo Athletics Club which I kept stocked for two weeks). Good, simple design shouldn't be underestimated but it must also represent a coherent brand. I think I may have tweeted (perhaps after a few beers) that the way to sell a Buffalo-based film festival is to include the whole region and preferably bring them downtown. Not that I have anything against the Amhert's Screening Room but the tragic fact of the matter is brining folks downtown will be harder to do with the closure of the announced closure of the Market Arcade (more on that in a later post).

Here's my pitch - plain and simple: "Revolutions Happen ........... and they premiere here: the Buffalo (Niagara/International) Film Festival"- now where do revolutions happen? Glad you asked - in cornfields, in dorms, in garages, in crappy apartments, in nice houses, in downtowns, in basements - you name it! Wherever folks make movies!

If Buffalo is the "new Austin" then it ought to build rich film culture - even if the Buffalo Film Society lacks the resources of the Austin Film Society (which include a studio space, events, a formal event space outfitted with 35MM and Digital Projection, and the participation of several top tier filmmakers like co-founder Richard Linkletter and Robert Rodriguez). Perhaps one solution would be to incorporate other film released events into the festival including classic programing from the Buffalo Film Seminars, local pop culture figures (members of the Bills, Shred and Regan, etc - presenting their favorite films), and arts organizations proactively engaged with the festival. A non-traditional presentation by an artist presented in conjunction with Hallwalls or Squeaky Wheel might benefit both organizations.

My second idea for including the community came to me while returning from the Walden Galleria after having lunch with a friend - I decided to stop by and see my friends at the Piece-Arrow Film & Arts Center and landed on the East Side (due to making a last minute decision). Driving past abandoned parking lots and fields I thought "why not put a movie screen here and show movies on a summer night for the community, for free". The festival, whichever one, should aim to increase awareness and reach audiences who aren't coming to the screenings by creating curiosity and providing a valuable service to the community. Of course this may require a corporate sponsor. I wish I had actually talked to Terry Pegula that night that he randomly came up to my friends and I at Mothers in Allentown.

So the emphasis should be on the experience - Brandonwood has played at both festivals each with its own experience. We had a sold out Friday night premiere in October at Buffalo International and an empty mid-afternoon show at Buffalo Niagara. At that one I asked if I would have a chance for a Q & A and was told "no". No programer here introduced the film or made a pitch for the festival, the movie simply started with no festival branding of any kind. The experience was mostly on me and the evening was made by a great supporter of the film whom my producer and I had a bite to eat with after the show. At BIFF the festival trailer played with an introduction, a short film, a post-film Q &A and after party. (Granted we had to foot the bill for a modest after-party).

As far as festivals go, I suppose it comes down to content and spreading the message. I've seen both packed houses and empty auditoriums at both Buffalo film festivals, the later is more troubling. As long as an effort is made the audiences should build, even slowly. Festivals are about discovery - if a programer tells you "if you like Brandonwood be sure to check out Elizabeth Bathory on Monday night at 8 which also stars Kathleen Denekee and Tilke Hill" you just might go see something you wouldn't otherwise. And if you liked both (or even found them to be interesting), you might just get hooked on the festival and continue exploring the programing. Heck, you might even keep it on your radar for next year and become a member to gain a discount, keep in touch with the festival and get first dibs on tickets for next year.

Sure capital is required and is always nice - a corporate sponsor and strategic partners who can provide meaningful support but organic energy can help too. Buffalo Dreams (formerly Buffalo Screams), a genre festival run by filmmaker Greg Lambertson fills a niche and builds community - I can't speak to the rest of the festival but their world premiere of the WNY filmed Return to Nuke Em' High was as fun as a TIFF Midnight Madness premiere at Ryerson Theatre, with high energy and lots of showmanship.

Some of my friends quietly suggested a reset switch for BNFF and BIFF  - one suggesting the city should take over both and combine them. Buffalo mayor Byron Brown may be a lot of things, but he's certainly not Vladimir Putin and cannot take over two private organizations. Certainly if a person of influence were to suggest the city provide resources and attention to one over the other, one could break out as a winner. This possibility exists as formal proposals including two from established WNY developers are currently being evaluated by city hall for the Market Arcade Cinema building.

With that said, I say this only because I want the best for Buffalo's film scene, although I'm no longer a regular fixture in WNY. By creating filmmaking events that create a dialogue with filmmakers from elsewhere, it can only benefit  the scene. It's been done via Hallwalls and Squeaky Wheel but a festivals must do more to bring the best of Toronto, Telluride, Sundance, South By Southwest and other major festivals to Western New York audiences (along with attracting quality films that tell the story of "The Other New York") with a strong branding mechanism that builds real awareness and excitement.

Alright. End of that rant. I suppose next I'll explore my time in Buffalo and the closing of the glorious Market Arcade Film & Arts Center - a beacon for local film and cultural events that was otherwise a ghost town. That is unless Tyler Perry had a new movie out....

GRAND PIANO ***

A simple premise that hits notes reminiscent of Hitchcock, Grand Piano is the best 'contained thriller' currently in theaters (also available on VOD).

Grand Piano, 80 minutes, director: Eugenio Mira, *** of 4 stars

The set up is simple – the execution even simpler yet somehow Eugenio Mira’s Grand Piano delivers the goods in a contained thriller that does an awful lot with very little. Efficiently the film introduces us to our man, Tom Selznick (Elijah Wood) on a turbulent, white-knuckle flight to Chicago where he anxiously deplanes in route to his first concert in five-years, the subtly shifts from drama to thriller. As the piano prodigy takes the stage, playing a piano built by his mentor, he finds a threat scrawled in his sheet music and thus the film is off and running.

Often exhilarating this is a rare, smart contained thriller providing a McGuffin that in actuality is useless – of course the brilliance of Mira’s pacing is that in the moment we are caught off guard, unaware that the entire plot is rather absurd. I was glued to my seat wondering exactly who is in on the threat – despite the fact the film (spoiler alert) does play by a narrowly defined set of rules. Non-Stop, another recent contained thriller by comparison takes it notes from Clue – it can be either X, Y, and Z – here the external threat isn’t a suspect list.

Tom is told to keep playing, act calm – if he misses a note either he or his beautiful wife Emma (Kerry Bishe), who overnight has become a movie star, will get it. The villain, Clem (John Cusack), is largely off screen, the bulk of his dirty work carried out by his “assistant” played by, yes, that Alex Winter lurking in the shadows of the theater.

Grand Piano largely depends upon behavior and character – in the moment Tom excels, another strength of picture is the overall restraint and limitations of the contained structure. Largely taking place in a packed concert hall, the psychological drama is heightened by Tom’s Achilles’ heel – his mentor’s masterpiece the mysterious, mythic unplayable La Cinquett.

For Wood’s part (and I’m no musical scholar) he rises to the challenge, convincingly portraying this character with the psychological weight required while director Mira has a good deal of fun playing a few notes from another master, Alfred Hitchcock. As far as thrillers go, grounding this within reality and resisting the urge to pump it up with action sequences and car chases to “open it up” proves to be effective. Like the villain it plays within a framework and by the rules – and the results are impressive. As far as contained thrillers go, this is the best on in theaters currently. It’s a shame that the film is only contained to a handful of theaters.

Grand Piano is also available widely on VOD including iTunes.

Oscars! Pre-game Analysis & Fink's Picks!

Let the punditry begin! The Oscars are the kind of bellwether I love to hate, and spectacle I plan on live tweeting throughout. They are imperfect as are year end top 10 lists because as the New York Times points out (a system I argue is driven by too many screens in the West Village) 900 films open theatrically every year in New York. Consider the best movie made last year is probably some movie that may have been hidden away, a masterpiece made in a backyard in Ohio that will never see the light of day because it doesn’t fit X-film festival mold. Haunting, yes – the digital revolution, baby.

So the Oscars are what they are – still problematic in how film qualify (short films have to win a festival award, which seems like a reasonable filter but this year garnered not one nominee from the good ol’ US of A). But let’s get right down to it – my top pic picks this year.

Best Picture – Nebraska

A strong group of nominees, but my pic is Nebraska, a film I’ve now seen twice and each time I turned to my screening companion during the show and said “I love this movie”. It’s simply remarkable and simple, striking a tone that only Alexander Payne can. Nebraska ranks as my second favorite film of last year, behind Fredrick Wiseman’s sweeping At Berkley (which failed to garner a nom in Best Documentary – a travesty).

Best Actor – Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)

This category is rather a rough one to choose – a close call between Matthew McConaughey and Christian Bale. Ejiofor pulls off something remarkably psychological here, including his breaking of the 3^rd wall in one sequence. This is a performance of true psychological weight and Ejiofor nails it perfectly.

Best Actress – Sandra Bullock (Gravity)

Gravity despite being a large-scale action film is really an intimate psychological film, it survived by Bullock who gives essentially a solo performance and so very effectively. Runner up: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine).

Best Supporting Actor – Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Really any doubt here? I called this once while watching the buzz unfold on the TIFF twitter feed aggregator while in line at the Bell Lightbox. Homeboy delivers, despite the obvious question Indiewire is asking – why wasn’t a transgendered actor cast here?

Best Supporting Actress – June Squibb (Nebraska)

Squibb is hilarious here as a feisty old women, hardly the sane one (in contrast to Will Forte in his second dramatic performance of the year). This is a great performance, although, again this category is a tough call with Lupita Nyong’o’s stunning performance in 12 Years a Slave and Sally Hawkins’ excellent turn in Blue Jasmine.

Best Animated Feature - ** no vote **

I haven’t seen two – Ernest & Celine and The Wind Rises (which is finally getting a US release this weekend). I’ll get back to you on this (but probably The Wind Rises!)

Best Cinematography – Roger A. Deakins (Prisoners)

Prisoners is a stunning film that does so much right – it deserves more nominations (but hey, they did release the movie a few months early for that!). Deakins’ cinematography is the real star of the show, haunting, simple and powerful.

Best Costume Design – Catherine Martin (The Great Gatsby)

Another close call, I’m no expert here but it The Great Gatsby delivers all the sensory overload spectacle you expect from Baz.

Best Directing – Martin Scorsese (Wolf of Wall Street)

Another close call between Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity), Alexander Payne and Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), but Scorsese orchestrates the madness masterfully, he hasn’t slowed down delivering his most frantic and hilarious film yet – it’s one of his best with lots of moving parts that masterfully snapped together.

Best Documentary – The Act of Killing 

The Act of Killing is one of the most important films of recent years (although I admit I missed Cutie and the Boxer and The Square). Co-director Joshua Oppenheimer risked his life, exploring an Indonesia in desperate need of a truth and reconciliation moment. See it. See it!

Best Documentary Short – **on vote**

(I missed this program – sadly they aren’t as easy to see as the live action and animated shorts)

Best Film Editing – Christopher Rouse (Captain Phillips)

Rouse and director Paul Greengrass keep the action flowing and keep us oriented masterfully in Captain Phillips. It is strange that Wolf of Wall Street wasn’t nominated in this category.

Best Foreign Language Film – The Broken Circle Breakdown

Lots of strong work here, including Omar (my review), The Hunt, and The Great Beauty. (Although, The Missing Picture from Cambodia was just that - I have yet to see it!). But….The Broken Circle Breakdown is a masterpiece, a film that would have been on my top ten had I seen it in 2013 (it’s currently playing at the Quad Cinema in New York, where I caught it in January). A powerful non-linear story, this bluegrass infused drama from Belgium is truly special, a riveting and brilliant film with strong performances and an amazing soundtrack. (My interview with thefilmmakers)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling – The Dallas Buyers Club

Sure – why not. Although Jackass presents: Bad Grandpa is also nominated in this category.

Best Original Score – William Butler and Owen Pallett (Her)

A beautiful film highlighted by a stunning music score including The Moon Song (see below).

Best Original Song – The Moon Song (Her)

Soulful and haunting – much like the movie.

Best Production Design – K.K. Barrett & Gene Serdena (Her)

The minimal look of the future, representing some thoughtful attention to detail (filmed in both Los Angeles and Shanghai) creates a realistic, yet undefined world. The production design team went above and beyond creating a beautiful sense of space through minimal architecture: every detail feels accurate creating a believable emotional complexity as Theodore Twombly’s every emotion is curiated by technology and architecture.

Best Short Animated Film – Possessions

Directed by Shuhei Morita, this was a highlight amongst a rather blah year (strangely Pixar’s The Blue Umbrella didn’t make the cut). Possessions is full of light and dark, reminiscent of Miyazaki.

Best Live Action Short Film – Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn’t Me)

Directed by Esteban Crespo, this Spanish production is a brutal, powerful and uncompromising short set in an anonymous African country. Two doctors representing an NGO entering a contested region run by a Joseph Kony-type figure. A disturbing and violent story ending in redemption this one left an impression.

Best Sound Editing – All is Lost

All is Lost is a gripping and stunning film requiring an excellent sound system for full emersion. Sound becomes another dimension as we share the struggles of our hero – Robert Redford named only the script as Our Man. This movie worked for me (it apparently didn’t for the couple in front of me – following a near empty screening at an 18-plex in the Buffalo suburbs the man turned to me to confirm his feelings, needless to say I diplomatically dissented while thinking to myself there was probably a dumb action movie playing in another auditorium he would have liked).

Best Sound Mixing – Gravity

I should default to Michael Bouquard, my sound mixer, on this one. This is a technical category that relies on just how good your theater is. In fact, I’d like to pre-nominated Stalingrad for next year’s award.

Best Visual Effects – Gravity

It’s simply the best film in the bunch – it worked for me. But again, this is a category celebrating a lot of great professional work – good job, ya’ll.

Best Adapted Screenplay – Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope (Philomena)

Philomena and I share a strange relationship – for very uninteresting reasons (mostly to satisfy a lady friend and then my mom) I saw this movie three times in theaters. It’s not the best film of the year, but Coogan and Pope have constructed a truly brilliant script, funny, angry and sad – often within the same scene. A light and entertainment treatment of truly dark material, Philomena is a movie I didn’t mind seeing three times for sure.

Best Original Screenplay – Bob Nelson (Nebraska)

I’m not sure what exactly was 100% on the page and what Alexander Payne brought to Bob Nelson’s original screenplay, but tonally this is a wonderful, complex and truly moving film. Hilarious and reflexive, filled with wonderful moments of reflection, Nelson’s screenplay (and Payne’s film) balance and handle many tones like no other film this year. I simply love this movie.

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And now for an additional rant, every year there are always movies that don’t make the cut – my top 50 list is littered with them! Some missed out due to the rules of qualifying – some are still without distribution which is ultimately a travesty. VOD, it should be noted complicates matters even more – some very good films go right to VOD or have minor runs (that apparently piss off the New York Times). I say bring it on, content will still be produced – just look at the ecosystems of micro budget non-union movies that are produced regionally. Somewhere a masterpiece is being made and released completely under the radar. I’m sure the best mumblecore kind of film made was one that never even came to the attention of a programmer at SXSW – now that’s something to keep you up at night!

First, the movie I called “the one that got away” – the beautiful and masterfully told The Broken Circle Breakdown, why it wasn’t nominated for Best Picture is beyond me, likely politics. Tribeca Film gave the film a modest push in the important cities, but if you’re sitting say in Buffalo, NY – you’ve gotta wait for VOD.

I’d rather not rehash my top 50 list – my #1 film of last year evaded the Oscars as expected (Fredrick Wiseman’s 4-hour At Berkley, a fascinating and entertaining 4-hours about an awful lot, even if it offers a hauntingly limited look at UC Berkley. A complete picture would require 1800+ hours of film, and at 2-hours a piece that equals about as many films opened in New York City last year).

Missing from the documentary list is Jason Osder’s Let theFire Burn, a film I found to be very important and underrated as well as Medora. Sure, Blackfish might be timely – it’s a very good film, but one I had expected to contain a little more psychoanalysis than it did. For what its worth, it was just scratching the surface. It may win in an overall popularity contest (that is if my Facebook friends were voting – they all continually recommend it), but that would be a shame – Act of Killing is far better.

Also missing from the screenplay category strangely is Nicole Holofcener’s wonderful Enough Said – which was my favorite romantic comedy of last year. Other pics, including a few film festival films that have yet to come out will hopefully appear next year – including one of the best Nicholas Cage films of all time, David Gordon Green’s Joe and Nils Tavernier’s The Finishers (a French film still without a US Distributor).

Joe will open soon from Roadside Attractions (In fact I saw the trailer for it before Robocop the other day) while The Finishers should be the kind of movie Harvey Weinstein or Sony Classics should pick up and turn into a family hit. I saw it at the Toronto International Film Festival in the largest theatre at the Bell Lightbox and there was not a dry eye in the house when it was over, the audience also applauded throughout. The film, about a father-son team (the son is a quadriplegic) that completes the Ironman France marathon was an inspiring drama that deserves to be absorbed with a captive audience. VOD has proven to be a threat to this experience especially in smaller markets like Buffalo, NY where the commercial art screens are dominated by good films from Sony Classics and Fox Searchlight. IFC, for instance has given up which is really a shame. The cost of disturbing films has dropped tremendously – alternative content has yet to come into its own.

It is the best and worst of times to be a film fan: Netflix had thankfully replaced the limited selection of Blockbuster, while VOD has diminished the impact of a film’s ability to play theatrically outside of a contractual obligation at the IFC Center, Quad Cinema or Cinema Village. This type of thinking is fine for some films, but for others it is a travesty. Exhibitors and distributors ought to step up and – shall we say – grow a pair. This could include limited sneak previews in the form of events like Alternative Content along with Oscar qualifying runs for deserving films.

While the rules of certain categories have been reformed (including Documentary) in recent years, I still believe the Best Live Action Short category to be a little problematic. The category requires films to qualify via a film festival award process (certain festivals are considered and advertise themselves as “qualifying” festivals) – this year not a single American film made it to the top 5. While many were excellent it underscores the need for – and I know this will anger many – more state funding for emerging filmmakers in the USA to make powerful shorts that can compete with other state-funded film enterprises. Monetizing a short in the US also difficult (perhaps IFC and other networks can assist in this capacity) – but it is what it is.

One has to believe the best do float to the top – the Independent Spirit Award system is perhaps even worse than the Academy Awards as whole IFP voting chapters will have little to no access to many of the smaller titles in time for voting. New York IFP members and LA Film Independent members have access to screenings, but when movie that played widely in commercial multiplexes (known as “smart houses”) like The Dallas Buyers Club or (the big winner) 12 Years a Slave sweep the awards, you know why.

OMAR *** 1/2

Omar, produced independent of state financing is more ambitious and angry, a love story that simply cannot exist within a binary.

Omar, 93 minutes, director: Hany Abu-Assad, *** 1/2 of 4 stars

A superb thriller Omar is an entertaining and disturbing look at life in the occupied West Bank from the perspective of Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad (Paradise Now). Adam Bakri stars at the film’s title character, a Palestinian baker who sneaks across the established barriers to visit with Nadia (Leem Lubany, in her first role). Nadia is a high school student, brother of Tarek (Eyad Hourani), a powerful force in the neighborhood. Omar, using Parkuor skills has become adept at evading the Israeli-divisions that serve as a constant reminder of the occupation. (Although less intrusive, I imagine a great story could be told about the DHS checkpoints that run some 70-miles north of the US-Mexico border…not to get all libertarian here).

Abu-Assad is a skilled storyteller, here presenting some beautifully shot visuals it evolves towards a kind of action movie as the cat has created a mouse by way of the occupation, complicating peace. Omar himself embodies that contradiction: a potentially peaceful man who is forced into violence and betrayal ultimately in the name of freedom. Social realism doesn’t get much more exciting – Omar is either a freedom fighter or a terrorist, although I propose he’s a victim of circumstance. Adam Bakri gives a first rate performance as a young man born into a system beyond the binary good and evil.

He’s captured and imprisoned by the Israeli military for a successful attack on a soldier. While in prison his handler –a family man whom is frustrated he’s been dispatched to the West Bank, Agent Rami (Waleed F. Zuaiter) promises him freedom in exchange for Tarek’s head. Rami although may or may not have the evidence to keep Omar locked up. Instead he’s set free on the condition he can deliver, leading to a double cross and a return to the detention. Omar, the freedom fighter plays both sides, ultimately though he remains – from one perspective anyways – unchanged. The ending like many films from this region is rather abrupt, reflecting a powerful reality. A straightforward comedy, romance, or drama from Israel or Palestine seems impossible, even those that try to remove politics revert back to the reality of danger. These include Dover Kosashvili’s Late Marriage, a comedy rooted in social issues ending in violence and Eytan Fox’s politically confused comedy The Bubble, told from the perspective of Tel Aviv’s hipsters.

Israel cinema, sometimes state sponsored allows for reflection and even criticism, which is rather remarkable and brave. Omar, produced independently is even more ambitious and angry, a love story that simply cannot exist within a binary.

THE LEGO MOVIE *** 1/2

A Wickedly subversive statement on contemporary childhood, the film is a joy to watch with an awful lot of craft, both in the visual aesthetics and in the storytelling. 

The Lego Movie, 100 minutes, directors: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, *** 1/2 of 4 stars

How strange it is for The Lego Movie to come out on a weekend eyeballs all over the globe are focused to Sochi, a pop-up city built by an oppressive regime. It, along with the modernizing China is a bit like Bricksburg, the city at the center of this visually exhilarating movie. Told in a pseudo-style stop-motion-animation look, co-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have made a hilarious, engaging, witty and allegorical film that deserves to ranked amongst Pixar’s best work.

The style is reminiscent of 8-bit graphics of the original Nintendo Entertainment System, limiting its physical pallet (light does streak in for reasons we later learn). What is remarkable is just how grounded the story is – set in a sort of reality, even the water (save for a potential cheat) is made of those versatile Lego blocks. Allegedly inspired (according to producer Dan Lin – talking to KCRW’s The Business) by stop motion Lego fan fictions on YouTube, the film’s photorealistic look shows tremendous small details up-close including nominal wear and tare.

Revolutionary this sure is – a film with an awful lot of product placement including the use of vintage characters – or shall we call them collectables - that appear interchangeably within the narrative. They join forces to save the world against Lord Business – aka President Business – leader of the Octan. Of course this one just one story that can be told here – maybe not even the best story – producer Dan Lin has an interesting point; the universe is endless.

Still, this is one lovable flick. Our Man is Emmet (voiced by Chris Pratt), an anonymous construction worker who follows the directions at all times, a textbook for the design of a happy, productive life. That is until he finds a valuable piece wanted by Lord Business (Will Ferrell) and a secret underground resistance of master-builders led by Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) as a kind of voice of God. Emmett teams with Lego cyber-punk Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) and her boyfriend Batman (Will Arnett) for the adventure. What follows is delightful as they travel to various realms and play sets. They include the Wild West and a cloud where anything goes – before they’re summonsed back to the Octan controlled Bricksburg in a call to action.

(Potential Spoiler Alert)

The story contains a complexity providing an unexpected political analysis of a contemporary childhood that I have not quite seen before on screen - at least not recently. Once the clues snap together we see what exactly is occurring – the events in Bricksburg reflect a patchwork of news stories overheard. The narrative is created by a kid developing his system of values and social norms, growing up without the proper context to understand news stories of twitter uprisings and growing economic inequality. The film is insightful as a commentary on the experience of growing up, middle class, in the suburbs - and in this respect it's frame story is apolitical while its core contains a political narrative that functions as a mash-up of current global events.

Who knows if in tightly regulated film markets the film will be a perceived threat (worth noting per IMDB is it currently does not have a Chinese release date - although that may have less to do with content than quota laws and a culture context). Typical tent pole films contain a non-political external threat - consider other toy-inspired films Battleship and Transformers, pro-US military films that contained non-political extraterrestrial threats. Lord Business is presented first as a communist dictator, CEO and President of Octan - a conglomerate producing culture (including the catchy tune "Everything is Awesome" and the hit TV show "Where's My Paints"), premium coffee, infrastructure, and voting machines! Octan is GE, Comcast, Starbucks, and Halliburton all rolled up in central government. Conspiracy theorists may have a blast here, in fact I look forward to the criticisms the film will no doubt receive from Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and Alex Jones.

But they would be missing the point - the universe is political as a result of the cultural mash-up experiences through the lens of a boy making sense of a media reporting he's likely overhearing. This story is the real one with an effective emotional resonance in its resolution, edging towards (although not quite reaching) the very best of Pixar including films like Up and Toy Story 3. Wickedly subversive as a statement on contemporary childhood, the film is a joy to watch in the moment with an awful lot of craft both in the visual aesthetics and in the storytelling, developing (and reinventing itself) in unexpected ways.

"Never Say Never" - Exhibition's Excess Capacity, Justin Bieber,and #ManohlaDargisProblems

Tonight I set out to test Manohla Dargis essay in today’s New York Times – Flooding Theaters Isn’t Good for Filmmakers or Filmgoers, by attending a screening of Justin Beiber’s Believe. The latest adventure sadly only hints that Bieber on the verge of cracking, as the closing credits disclaim the movie was intended for "entertainment purposes". This is acceptable once you consider the picture was more a "branded experience" than a film. Believe, for it's distributor's owners, represents a suburban answer to Dargis’ urban problem. 

I agree, New York City has flood of pictures, as qualified by the New York Times, which has an admirable policy of reviewing every film released theatrically in Manhattan. This totaled over 900 in calendar year 2013. I saw roughly a little more than 1/3^rd that amount between in-theatre screenings (304 on record), plus VOD and press screeners (those I'm not so good about keeping track of). That number is partly made possible by traveling to festivals and to New York City – had I been restricted only to Buffalo, NY or worse Erie, PA that number would be significantly less.

I truly believe the problem, and this will sound sickeningly like a closed Western New York idea when I complete this sentence – is New York City and eco-system that has spawned VOD and contractual theatrical runs. I also believe another problem is the unwillingness of distributors and exhibitors to build theatrical audiences and outside of the hermetically sealed screening rooms of the Quad, Cinema Village and IFC – New York's prime offenders. And I mean prime offenders in the nicest way possible, these aren't bad films we're talking about - normally they are like slightly bruised apples. Indiewire's Sam Adams, in response to Dargis blamed contractual obligations, along with good ol’ Four Walling – the process of which a distributor or filmmaker buys out the house for the week. As Indiewire unpacks – the Quad Cinema had made a business of Four Walling (and showing second run films after they depart from multiplexes and the A-list Houston Street art houses). In LA, Laemmle Theaters also offers "qualification" services - providing the Four Walling required to ensure your film is eligible for award season.

A two-tier indie system exists in New York and the Quad Cinema along with Cinema Village survive on the scraps of the A-listers. Both tiny art houses sit in heavily competitive zones with several multiplexes that do not split bookings. The AMC Village 7, City Cinemas Village East 7, and Regal’s always-packed Union Square 14 – will never show the same picture. In essence you have 35 first run screens causing a bottleneck just in Union Square. Given those odds, the tiny Quad Cinema is never going to show Lone Survivor on “break”. Add in art houses on Houston Street art houses – The Angelika, Film Forum, Landmark Sunshine and for good measure we’ll count IFC – all of which most certainly have exclusive rights below 14^th Street for each title they screen, and you’re looking at 54 screens to program.

In defense of the Quad and Cinema Village they depend on a certain type of title, often simultaneously showing on VOD to survive, otherwise they would be forced to become purely second run houses, a prospect that may become more limited. At this time, I do not believe these theaters have fully converted the studio standard Digital Cinema as they frequently show BluRay and other digital formats.

Taken from the back row of Theater #5 at the IFC Center (I wish I was joking) prior to a screening of Claire Denis' Bastards.

IFC is equally complicit as an exhibitor and distributor (operating as IFC Films and Sundance Selects). The IFC Center went so far as to build two auditoriums that I consider to be “houses of contractual obligation”. Often these are the only theaters in the US to play certain films that IFC has picked up for VOD – theatre #5, above, seats 33, with a tiny screen and still charges a cool $13.50 a ticket.

These 54 screens plus others showing exclusive theatrical runs including Lincoln Center’s venues and the Anthology Film Archives along with micro cinemas in Brooklyn have created a large supply for a decent demand. The picture elsewhere outside of first world film cities like New York (the leader), Toronto, Los Angelas and Austin is for exhibitors to get into the content game. Open Road, the distributors of tonight’s narcissistic entertainment Justin Beiber’s Believe was founded by equity partners Regal Entertainment Group and AMC Theaters (the two largest theatrical exhibitors in the US) as a “straight content play”.

A smaller exhibitor, Digiplex Destinations founded its own micro distribution label, Diginext – releasing primarily documentaries and they have recently moved towards narrative films. Diginext films are screened throughout the US via a partnership with advertiser Screenvision (although I’m sorry to report I couldn’t locate box office data Diginext's widest release, the recent A Miracle in Spanish Harlem).

Alternative content is nothing new and perhaps it’s a more common sense approach to this New York problem, but I’ll tell you – the problem of too much to see is a nice one if you have it. This is why I don’t subscribe to a big cable package. For film lovers in markets like Erie, PA where the local 17-plex Cinemark is the only game in town, why not apply more flexibility? Some major indie titles like Anna Karernina (from Focus Features) have even bypassed that 17-plex, screening at a weekly curiated gathering called Film at the Erie Art Museum usually a few weeks before the film's DVD release.

New York is of course the number one market – my kind of city – a town where a carefully crafted Turkish art house picture can sell out on a Tuesday night at 9:30 at Film Forum. Supply and demand at its finest - with audiences hungry for great cinema. A few months back I had two hours to kill while waiting around for a friend and wondered into Cinema Village after looking for a movie to see playing within a few minutes. This isn’t a bad approach; in fact I’ve seen many a great film on a whim at festivals – something you can only replicate each and every day in New York City.

I wondered into Free Samples, a spirited little indie released by the Starz network, and screened on a small screen in BluRay. The theater was shockingly not too dead – I think 10 others joined me, not bad for a weekday afternoon for a film without much in the way of marketing. By comparison the Dipson's Market Arcade Film & Arts Center in Buffalo, NY has frequently hosted unintentional private screenings for me on Saturday nights, often for films leading that weekend's box office.

Independent cinema is a funny thing – the right moves can make the difference between a picture released at the Angelika by Sony Pictures Classics and one that despite having stars finds itself with a VOD deal and a small token release at the Cinema Village. It’s a game of chances – from having the right talent agency to package the film the right way, getting on the right festival programmer’s radar to finding the right distributor. Indie films are like salmon swimming upstream, bloody and bruised.

The eco-system as inconvenient as it is for the New York Times represents largely a problem of qualification. 900 films is an awful lot to qualify for year-end – and who knows what hidden indie gems is buried amongst them? AO Scott might discover a small gem and spread the word including amongst his twitter followers - while a less known New York Times critic's positive review will undoubtably have less of an impact.

Computer Chess – one of my top films of last year was cited amongst those that unfairly had to compete amongst lesser films. I’m not sure if this is correct – would Andrew Bujalski’s film been more successful had it opened at Regal Union Square? With no stars, Bujalski is the brand behind the film, again adding another layer of qualification. The indie film world can be hermetically sealed – a complaint I have about filmmakers like Joe Swanberg and Ti West who continue to churn out films with (often not very funny) inside jokes about the ecosystem of film festivals like Toronto, Sundance and South by Southwest.

Therefore do films that open directly at the Quad Cinema or Cinema Village have a kind of kind stigma? The Quad was for years the only game in town LGBT cinema from distributors like Strand Releasing, playing an important role for work that now seems to go right to VOD without a contractual release. The Quad Cinema has become a hybrid second run complex (currently showing Captain Phillips and 20 Feet from Stardom) with documentaries and small indie titles (such as Alice Eve in Cold Comes the Night - which for all purposes appears to be a project intended for a direct to video release).

Crowd sourced, on demand models including Tugg exist and have found some success – individual  audience members to commit to one screening at a certain time and place. Like Kickstarter if enough commit the screening, filling the theater, the screening happens. Tugg has partnered with exhibitors like AMC, Cinemark, and the Alamo Drafthouse – in fact the Cinemark 17 in Erie, PA has hosted successful Tugg screenings on behalf of certain groups who have opted-in and committed.

Exhibitors operate on a simple model – butts in the seats and popcorn sold. Is it unreasonable to propose a distributed model by which indie films find and build a more regional audience? This exists in large part for faith-based cinema, but could it work for a delightful modest indie like Free Samples?  

The qualification problem exists when the gates are lowered or as Janet Pierson of South by Southwest Film put it - made into a hobby by those that can afford it. Yes, those films that lack good intentions don't get find audiences - even if they have significant advertising dollars (see my worst film of 2013...or better yet - don't!). More content, to paraphrase the great Biggy Smalls equals Mo Problems. The films we never get to see too haunt me; perhaps a kid in Iowa has shot a masterpiece that the gatekeepers of South by Southwest, Sundance and Tribeca have kept from us. Qualification is a problem that must be addressed publication by publication, as distribution models become more fluid. The New York Times in taking an open approach by including reviews of what have been dismissed as “vanity films” – those made by folks of means renting the Quad Cinema for a week. The Quad is advertising access to critics as a selling point of their services.

As a critic I serve as a gatekeeper – my rules were simple for my top and bottom lists – and yet would have qualified every film that has ever played at any festival anywhere in the world in 2013 plus those 900 theatrical releases in New York City. While not always the case, the good ones tend to rise to the top – 12 Years a Slave, I have a hunch will do very well at both the Oscars and the Independent Spirit Awards (which closely mirror the Oscars for reason that are frankly annoying and worth exploring in a future post).

In closing the irony of VOD and contractual theatrical distribution is that it creates a bottleneck for mostly pretty good films in a very concentrated hub, a 10-block radius of Washington Square Park. Films that might otherwise have a chance to break out, even difficult ones are starved from the chance via VOD at exactly the time when digital distribution has drastically cut costs and reduced risk to exhibitors and distributors. Social models like Tugg are a solution but ought to be a regular fixture. Imagine having one night a week where a loyal audience voted on a new high quality indie (vetted of course by a major festival screening) and then that picture was shown – weeks before it bowed on VOD.

While New York may be flooded, cinephiles in other parts of the country are disenfranchised by the lack of good content and choice in theaters. They can see anything on VOD, but that's no fun. Exhibitors are clearly interested in diversifying content especially on low capacity nights – so why not shift some of that contractual obligation somewhere else? If the value of a New York theatrical release isn’t what it used to be unless you open at the Angelika, Sunshine, Film Forum, Regal Union Square, or AMC Village 7 - why not four wall it in another major city to measure its potential? 

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY ***

Flawed but entertaining with top notch performances, John Wells' adaptation of Tracy Letts' play doesn't transcend the text and take the material into the territory of a White Trash Mike Leigh film.

August: Osage County, 125 minutes, director: John Wells *** of 4 stars

From the text, August: Osage County is a far more challenging piece of work to adapt than playwright Tracy Letts’ previous stage to screen adaptations, Bug and Killer Joe (both brilliantly directed by William Friedkin). Letts’ specialty it would appear is dark, twisted white trash comedy with an undercurrent of violence and addiction – August: Osage County is no different.

Criticisms have blamed director John Wells, best known as a TV producer; he previously directed the flawed but timely The Company Men in 2010 (from his own script). August: Osage County is a tough nut to crack – flawed with brilliant performances you’d expect from this cast. What exactly went wrong? I’m not so sure as I’d file this one under interesting but imperfect – it offers a lot more under the hood than other films. Wells has opened up the story a great deal – despite a very long (and funny) scene that takes place at a dinning room table full of revelations. Other moments have shifted to cars and outdoors settings – adding visuals to Letts’ text. What is lost is that these moments feel somewhat less motivated, although thankfully this text is not considered as sacred as Shakespeare (let’s agree that the we’ve seen too many Shakespeare adaptations in contemporary settings that keep the language in tact). I think this is the problem critics have well Wells’ adaptation: Bug, another Lett’s adaptation wisely remained closed – it’s the story of two individuals that infect each other in the confines of a dingy motel room. Here, the text work doesn’t feel quite as deep on the part of Wells and his production team.

Like Bug, August: Osage County is about social infection – the matriarch of the group is brilliantly played by Meryl Streep, she’s a pill-popping alcoholic who after a few lets it all out. Unapologetically she admits she’s just “truth telling”. Her husband Beverly, played by Sam Sheppard has gone missing and is later found dead in a creek. The family reunites for the funereal including sisters Barbara (Julia Roberts), Ivy (Julianne Nicolson), and Karen (Juliette Lewis). Each is well developed, more so than the men in this story, apart from Benedict Cumberbatch’s Little Charles, a sweet guy in over his head.

The other male characters are all seemingly developed with regards to how they relate to the woman at the heart of this material. Normally it’s the other way around – I’m fine with it – especially after one too many Adam Sandler comedies that treat a whole gender as a plot device. They include Bill (Ewan McGregor), a rather dull man who returns with his estranged wife Barbara out of respect.  She taunts him over an affair. Steve, the fiancé of Karen is a sleaze-ball portrayed as only Dermott Mulroney can. Also under developed in this mess is Barbara and Bill’s daughter Jean (Abigail Breslin).

August: Osage County has several hilarious revelations and truly painful moments interspersed. The approach is faithful to the text in a way that that it dictates the tone. The actors are all up for the challenge, but one would have to wonder, if free from Lett’s text what kind of white trash Mike Leigh movie might have evolved. Challenging, August: Osage County is still enjoyable and full of surprises (many I’d prefer not to reveal). Worth seeing, the film is a showcase of excellent performances.

THE DIRECTORS CUT - THE TOP 50: The Best Films of 2013

The following list appears later than I would have liked it to – but it’s here. The issue of ranking 50 feature films, all excellent, against each other is rather silly and entirely subjective. I closed 2013 with 304 films IN THEATRES, starting on January 1^st with Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away and finishing up with Dhoom 3 on December 29^th.

As I said in my comments at The Film Stage, 2013 wasn’t a landmark year, I singled out 20 not so good films for my worst of the year and 50 good ones, the rest all fall into that middle ground. Will my feelings evolve on those, perhaps? My lists normally have a few odd choices like ATL, a studio teen drama that had topped my list in 2006 (and I stand by it even presenting a paper on the film at an academic conference). What hooks me are films that study time and place – no matter how flawed, it’s no wonder the two best films of the year (in my humble opinion) promise and deliver that, right in their titles.

Before we start I’d like to award a special jury prize to re-release of The Wizard of Oz, which looked stunning even in Real D 3D (It had been rendered for Digital IMAX 3D). The new version apparently digitally aligns the three-strip Technicolor print perfectly, for the first time in its exhibition.

Now onwards to the top 50:

50. The Way Way Back (Nat Faxon, Jim Rash)

A coming of age summer comedy that speaks to me as the 30-year old son of a single mom, who was once shown the ropes during a summer job by a kind co-worker. The Way Way Back is an excellent blend of carefully observed drama and sweet comedy.

49. Lee Daniel’s The Butler (Lee Daniels)

An entertaining history lesson, silly with some unrestrained moments that Lee Daniels is known for but utterly engaging thanks to Forest Whitaker’s portrait of Cecil Gaines.

48. The Great Gatsby (Baz Luhrmann)

As The Film Stage’s Dan Mecca observes, you can read Gatsby in less time than Luhrmann’s 148-minute film (plus 30 minutes of trailers if you see it at Regal). A decadent 3D film it’s flawed but visually stunning – especially for those party scenes. I do wish the technology existed so that the whole movie wasn’t in 3D; much of the drama would be better off in 2D.

47. The To Do List (Maggie Carey)

Announcing the arrival of Aubrey Plaza, movie star, The To Do List is a hilarious summer comedy staring alt comedian Plaza as an awkward over achiever who applies the same principals she uses to get straight A’s to losing her virginity. Set in the early 90s before the Internet the film has a great deal of fun with the politics and zeitgeist with many hilarious moments. (Full Review)

46. Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton (Stephen Silha & Eric Slade)

Celebrating the work and life of filmmaker James Broughton, told by those that loved him – from his former partners (including lovers Joel Singer and Pauline Kael) to colleagues like George Kuchar. Blending archival materials and talking heads, the film employs an “explainer” to fill in the gaps. An enlightening documentary that celebrates both joy and pain. (Full Review)

45. Pioneer (Erik Skjoldbjaerg)

A conspiracy thriller with nods to the great thrillers of the 70’s, Erik Skjoldbjaerg’s latest stars Aksel Hennie as a deep-sea diver that uncovers a conspiracy while taking part in oil exploration research. Wes Bentley plays his American counter-part in this superb thriller. Magnolia Pictures will be releasing the film in the US.

44. The Company You Keep (Robert Redford)

An entertaining ensemble thriller staring Robert Redford as an attorney and former member of the Weather Underground leading a quiet life in Albany, NY.  After a young news reporter (Shia LaBeouf) publishes an expose, he’s driven underground visiting his old contacts. Smart and engaging, that is until its 3^rd act.

43. The Gatekeepers (Dror Moreh)

Exposing state secrets, Dror Moreh’s The Gatekeeprs captures frank interviews with the Shin Bet, the Israeli security agency that is perhaps a bit like the famed Seal Team Six. It offers up an interesting alternative perspective on geopolitics from those who were pulling the trigger.

42. Short Term 12 (Destin Cretton)

Lead by Brie Larson in a star-making performance, this great little indie follows a few days in the life of the 20-somethings that work in a short-term youth detention center. A bitter sweet look at the ups and downs, the lighter and darker days.

41. The Kill Team (Dan Krause)

The story of a young private assigned to an evil sergeant, in a group later branded by the media as The Kill Team. Krause has a made a portrait of a young man caught in the system and his family, fighting to free him the military courts. Oscilloscope Laboratories will be releasing the film in the US.

40. Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (David Lowery)

 Lyrical and haunting, Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck play lovers separated as his good luck comes to end early in the film’s first act and he’s sent to prison for his crime spree. The real star of the film is Bradford Young’s stunning cinematography.

39. Disconnect (Henry Alex Rubin)

A 90’s style ensemble tackling 2013 problems. A drama connecting cyber bullies with child pornographers, a family man who builds an unexpected connection, a reporter who crosses the line, identity thief and his victims. An entertaining character study elevated by good work from Jason Bateman, Andrea Riseborough and Paula Patton.

38. Evocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie (Seth Kramer, Daniel A Miller, Jeremy Newberger)

A portrait of little known American icon, Downey held no-holds-barred court at Channel 9 in the swamps of New Jersey – his show was described as a talk show with hockey fans. Stopping at nothing to drive up ratings he ratchets up racial tension even taking his show on tour to the Apollo Theatre. Here’s a movie without a dull moment. (Full Review)

37. The Grandmaster (Wong Kar Wai)

The haunting and beautifully filmed story of Ip Man, directed with all the cinematic touches of Wong Kar Wai (even if it played at shopping mall multiplexes). Complex, sweeping and lucid – it adds emotion to the physical poetry of Kung Fu.

36. The Bling Ring (Sofia Coppola)

A candy colored crime drama; it offers a rather sick-self diagnosis of celebrity obsession. Masterfully directed by Sofia Coppola, it’s fun and pretty while painting a sick and depressing picture.

35. To The Wonder (Terrence Malick)

Despite its lack of plot, Malicks’ latest is surprisingly his most straightforward film. Free from character and plot it’s strictly about the joy, regret and atmosphere of falling in love, finding and loosing your faith and potentially many other interpretations. It’s an experimental film that sets the tone and then provides room to wonder.

34. All Is Lost (J.C. Chandor)

A one-man show – Robert Redford takes the seas alone for reasons unknown. His ship collides with a lost shipping container and the rest of the film is rather brutal as he struggles to survive. With the focus squarely on the here – and with virtually no dialogue – this is an entertaining and engaging picture.

33. – Koch (Neil Barksy)

Koch is a comprehensive documentary about the man, the myth and the legend that is New York City mayor Ed Koch (also the co-star of Muppets Take Manhattan). A man who embodies the energy of New York City – part street performer, part wacky uncle, Neil Barksy has made an intimate portrait up to a certain point. When asked the question everyone’s mind, his subject responds “its’ none of your fucking business”.

32.- Starred Up (David Mackenzie)

One of the most exciting films at TIFF this year – Starred Up is no-holds-barred balls to the wall filmmaker, an explicit exploration of prison culture as father (Eric Mendelsohn) and son (Jack O’Connell) are reunited behind bars. What kept me on edge after the film’s opening sequence you just about anything can happen. With no rules, I was on edge the whole time. (Full Review)

31.- The Attack (Ziad Doueiri)

An Arab surgeon living in Tel Aviv confronts a reality he’s unprepared for in a complex, thought-provoking thriller, personalizing geopolitical tension.

30.-Before Midnight (Richard Linklater)

Checking in on our pals Jesse and Celine nine-years later we’re offered a unique perspective of what the future is. Strangers in the first film (Before Sunrise), they ponder alternative realities in the second (Before Sunset) and here find themselves together, older, and wiser in real life in a situation that far more emotionally complex than the fantasy.

29.-The Dallas Buyers Club (Jean-Marc Vallee)

Set in 1985, Ron Woodroff (Matthew McConaughey), a heterosexual hard living electrician finds himself on death’s door. Committed to find a way he starts importing AIDS medicines from Mexico, cutting costs drastically until the FDA comes knocking. An entertaining Texas drama, Vallee keeps his camera lucid and alive.

28.-The Place Beyond the Pines (Derek Cianfrance)

Flawed but such a fantastic movie on every level. It’s a living and breathing epic about fathers, sons, and career choices. Spot on until its third act when I wished the film would pull away just slightly.

27. Prisoners (Denis Villeneuve)

Directed by Denis Villeneuve (Incendies) and featuring some strong performances, Prisoners is an effective edge of your seat thriller. It’s the kind of movie where from frame one you know you’re in the hands of a great director and he doesn’t blow it.

26. Beyond the Hills (Cristian Mungiu)

Beyond the Hills is a stunning drama about the line between faith and common sense, between modernity and tradition. Following two friends - Cristina Flutur as Alina who visits her childhood best friend Voichita (Cosmina Stratan) in a hilltop Romanian convent.

25. Philomena (Stephen Frears)

A sublimely funny drama made by the one and only Stephen Frears (and thank God – his last movie was a major misfire). Judi Dench stars as a women haunted by the son she was forced to give up 50-years ago. Steve Coogan signs on a journalist who ultimately takes her to the US to continue the search. (Full Review)

24. Blue is the Warmest Color (Abdellatif Kechiche)

A film that hits so many emotional notes perfectly with beautiful performances by Lea Seydoux and Adele Exarchopoulos, it wonders and looses its way periodically. It’s a living, breathing film – raw and emotional but not one without significant flaws.

23. Run & Jump (Steph Green)

Run & Jump is a wonderful and warm comedy staring Maxine Peake as a woman caring for her husband who has suffered from a rare stroke (Edward MacLiam). Enter Dr. Ted Fielding (Will Forte) an American researcher who grows awfully attached to the family. The first feature from Steph Green, it’s a wonderful and wise character study. Sundance Selects/IFC will release Run & Jump in the US. (Full Review) (my interview with the cast & crew) 

22.-The Hunt (Thomas Vinterberg)

Mads Mikkelsen stars as a teacher accused of molesting a student, causing his life to implode as his small town turns against him. Riveting all the way through its last shot – Vinterberg has crafted a brilliant nightmare.

21.-Dirty Wars (Rick Rowley)

Following American hero Jeremy Scahill as he does the dark work of uncovering the secrets of America’s covert wars. It’s amazing this man is still alive – an interesting study of how he works and what keeps him going.

20.-Bastards (Claire Denis)

Difficult to describe (and watch) Denis’ first digital outing is a visually superb exploration of family secrets and their violent effects on otherwise levelheaded adults.

19.- Mud (Jeff Nichols)

Another exceptional film by Jeff Nichols – who is immerging as one of American best storytellers, Mud is a simple story of an escaped convict (Matthew McConaughey) and two friends that help him (Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofand). Beautifully shot with well-developed characters and settings, Mud is excellent.

18.-Enough Said (Nicole Holofcener)

A brilliant comedy with some big laughs and emotions, Nicole Holofcener remains one of the most perceptive American filmmakers, here going a little broader (while retaining her voice). Julia Louis-Dreyfus stars as Eve, divorced she’s adjusting to her daughter’s departure for college, making friends with Marianne (Catherine Kenner) while falling in love with Albert (James Gandolfini). Wonderfully acted and directed, Enough Said is best romantic comedy of the year.

17.-Medora (Andrew Cohn and Davie Rothbart)

Powerful and perceptive, a documentary that uses high school sports as a proxy for a larger discussion. This is what the eroding middle and lower class looks like, holding on to its glory days. Sharing the narrative quality of an episode of This American Life (it’s co-directed by a TAL contributor Davie Rothbart) it’s a sports movie about economic underdogs. (Full Review)

16.- Inside Llewyn Davis (Ethan Coen & Joel Coen)

A funny and sweet look, ironically at a man that’s anything but. Llewyn Davis (played by Oscar Isaac) is a couch-hopping folk singer in the Greenwich Village of 1961. The film is an effective character study and another home run for the Coen Brothers.

15.-Computer Chess (Andrew Bujalski)

A charming gem of a comedy that turn the mumble-core genre on its head – creating a film that appears to be shot with primitive 80s video technology. Centered upon a man vs. machine chess competition amongst many standouts is Myles Paige as an obnoxious and inquisitive figure, hilariously challenging every claim.

14.-Paradise: Love (Ulrich Seidl)

This is one brave film fronted by Margarete Tiesel, a 50+ plus size women taken on vacation by her friends. The Austrian group heads down to Kenya where they become “Sugar Mamas” for young African boys looking to sell their bodies. Both buyer and consumer are aware of their roles. A much different film than Laurent Cantet’s Heading South, Paradise: Love, is a brilliant film about repression, loneliness, and commerce.

13.- Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese)

A fuck you punch to the gut – those that say it glamorizes the 1% have missed the point. Sure – it looks fun but the thing about sleezeball Jordan Belfort (who traded in risky unregulated penny stocks) is he and his group of slouches were far from being members of the lucky sperm club. The rise to the top and the fall is thrilling – Scorsese still has it, at 3 hours it’s without a boring moment.

12.-Joe (David Gordon Green)

An unexpected Nicolas Cage film, one his best performances a Joe, a man with a past making an honest days living. He hires young Gary (Tye Sheridan – from Mud) a kid who comes from a violent and broken household (his father is an alcoholic whose a line, he’s beyond redemption). A disturbing masterpiece, I’m glad to see David Gordon Green return to his roots with this and Prince Avalanche. Lionsgate will release Joe in the US.

11. The Past (Asghar Farhadi)

A film that opens simple enough – an Iranian man (Ali Mosaffa) returns to France to finalize a divorce from is estranged wife (Berenice Bejo). She’s taken up with a new lover with a questionable past, as the spirals into something far deeper than it appears on the surface. Asghar Farhandi (A Separation) has a unique touch – keeping the action, the deceit and the lies seemingly at the frame’s edge, each new reveal feels both organic and unexpected.

10. At Any Price (Ramin Bahrani)

After floating around the 2012-2013 festival circuit, this Sony Classics release should have made director Ramin Bahrani a household name, but At Any Price remains a remarkable American indie that sadly failed to find an audience. Starring Zac Efron as a free spirited racecar driver who rejects his family business, an agriculture supply and farm in crisis, Dennis Quaid plays the patriarch of the family, squeezed under investigation for his seed practices. Co-starring Kim Dickens, Heather Graham and Clancy Brown, At Any Price is a family drama-thriller that offers up a fascinating and entertaining look at modern agriculture.

9. Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron)

One of the year’s most talked about blockbusters, what I found most remarkable about Gravity is its scale. An effective and thrilling technical achievement, it’s essentially a one-women show led by Sandra Bullock in her best performance. A psychological thriller above all, Cuaron has made a smart sci-fi story masterfully contained within an airtight 90 minutes.

8. Blue Jasmine (Woody Allen)

Woody Allen’s best film in years, a sort-of retelling of A Streetcar Named Desire with a few twists, Blue Jasmine is both a brilliant comedy and powerful drama. Cate Blanchett gives a stellar performance as a Jasmine, a women abandoned by her businessman husband (Alec Baldwin in a particularly slimy role). Moving from New York to San Francisco to live with her sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins), the New York socialite finds herself a fish out of water, downsizing her life drastically. The film contains so many brilliant moments and great performances, including Andrew Dice Clay as Ginger’s ex-husband and Bobby Cannavale as her current boyfriend.

7. 12 Years a Slave (Steve McQueen)

A paradigm-shifting film, 12 Years a Slave is a complex look at the dynamics and economy of slavery. Despite its flaws (including the casting of Brad Pitt), films like this are revolutionary when they arrive. Steve McQueen continues his transformation from art star to A-list director in a film that studies perspective including the guilt of Solomon Northup, a freeman enslaved (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor). This is a well-crafted, psychologically brutal film offering a unique perspective on the subject.

6. Her (Spike Jonze)

A beautiful study in alienation and loneliness, presenting so many themes the film could be the subject of its own TED conference, Spike Jonze’s Her is a lyrical and soulful film recalling Mike Mills’ Beginners. Joaquin Phoenix gives a beautiful performance as Theodore, a lonely man who asks his mobile OS to play him melancholy songs. Soon his tame OS is replaced by Samantha (Scarlett Johansson, giving an Oscar-worthy voice performance). Complex and rich, Her is the most daring film released by a major studio this year, exploring the complex psychological nature of falling in love: what we expect, what we project and how we evolve.

5. Let the Fire Burn (Jason Osder)

Let the Fire Burn tells the incendiary story of multiple bad decisions made by the City of Philadelphia which lead to the destruction of a densely populated neighborhood in attempt to “evict” the extremist African American liberation group MOVE. Told entirely in archival footage, Osder masterfully captures time and place; we know exactly what was known then, as muddy as the facts are. Framed by testimonials given before a commission investigating the day, the chips fall where they will. A powerful, thrilling, engaging and essential documentary, it’s fresh, speaking to us in the present tense from 1985. (Full Review)

4. Finishers  (Nils Tavernier)

Finishers is a wonderful, crowd-pleasing tearjerker, inspired by the real life Hoyt Family. Starring Fabien Heraud as Julien, a 17-year old with congenital palsy, he gravitates towards his mother (Alexandra Lamy) while his relationship with his father Paul (Jacques Gamblin) has remained distant. After several attempts, Julien convinces Paul to carry him on his back for the grueling Iron Man France triathlon. Packing a physical and emotional punch, Finishers (currently without a US distributor) is a first-rate family sports drama that left not a dry eye in the house when it premiered at TIFF. (Full Review)

3.- The Act of Killing (Joshua Oppenheimer & Anonymous)

The Act of Killing is rare kind of film that leads to a temporary paralysis. Examining the current lives of former members of Indonesian death squads, they are celebrated as heros for their work in ridding the country of communists. They continue onwards participating in talk shows, TV pageants and recreations where they receive the royal treatment. Indonesia has never had a truth and reconciliation moment and Oppenheimer (and collaborators credited anonymously), have made a brave and powerful film exploring a bastardized version of history. The film forces us to question the narratives of our national history: what atrocities have we glossed or repressed?

2.- Nebraska (Alexander Payne)

Alexander Payne’s latest feature is his best, a wonderful film that does so much right from its unique tone (shifting quietly from parody to melancholy) and its relationships. The story is centered around the life of Woody Grant (Bruce Dern, in a brilliant performance) and potentially his alternative life as he returns to rural Nebraska on his way to claim a prize. Enabling the stubborn old Woody is his son David (Will Forte), a lonely stereo salesman. June Squibb also gives a hilarious performance as Woody’s wife. Nebraska is a rough, yet lovable movie, hitting notes so rarely seen. It is one of the best road comedies ever made, embodying the old notion that road movies are about the journey, not the destination. Here is a film that reflects on journey in truly profound and often heartbreaking ways.

1.- At Berkley (Fredrick Wiseman)

A rich, behind-the-scenes look at academia, Fredrick Wiseman studies his largest institution yet while barely scratching the surface. Berkeley is a challenging subject, a laboratory of many issues percolating in higher education, however, administrators interested in transparency give Wiseman tremendous access. Each scene never overstays its welcome as the film captures many fascinating moments from the bottom up. Juxtaposing administrators crafting a public safety and PR response to a planned protest, with a classroom where freshman undergraduates struggle to define their roles in society, At Berkley, the 38th institution-centered documentary by Wiseman, is not only one of his best, but his most accessible, despite its four-hour running time. (My interview with Fredrick Wiseman)