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Crazy Heart- nf-  A self centered , has been,  country music singer by the name of Bad Blake  ( Jeff Bridges ) is an , alcoholic , big time smoker, overweight who is reduced to playing with the local band in dinky  bars. He   rolls into a small town and meets a young women  (Maggie Gyllenhaal)  with a four year old son  who interviews him for a local newspaper.  They end up in bed together and our has been country singer with four failed marriages and son he hasn’t spoken to in 24 years wants  immediately decides that he has to be with her. He gets  inspired to write some new songs, which he hasn’t done  in many years, for his former protégée ( Colin Farrell )  who is now big time star. Bad Blake also wants to change his ways so he isn’t so bad. Don’t worry that some of the plot is revealed. If you see decide to see the movie you shouldn’t be doing it for the storyline which is hackneyed and not very believable. Both Bridges and Gyllenhaal were nominated for Academy awards for their acting and Bridges actually snared the award.  He was outstanding as he actually made this fairly obnoxious character almost likeable. He did his own singing as did Farrell although there may have been a little lip syncing. If you have any inclination towards enjoying country music that is the best part of the film and there also was an Oscar for one of the original songs. The great  acting, the enjoyable  music and even a supporting role by Robert Duvall who was a producer for the film and  played  a friend and a bartender, can’t make us say we were glad we saw this movie or recommend it  (2009)

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The Visitor – nf – When a movie is able to shine a fresh emotional and insightful light on some aspect of the immigrant issues in this country, it deserves our attention. Screenwriter and director Thomas McCarthy brings this film to us shortly after bringing out the acclaimed The Station Agent. In this current movie we have Walter Vale who is a depressed, isolated widowed economics professor at a Connecticut college. He comes to Manhattan to deliver a paper at NYU and finds a young couple from Syria and Senegal living in his rarely used flat. Tarek, the young man portrayed by a new comer Haaz Sleiman, plays the African drum and connects with Vale who has yearning to create music perhaps because his late wife was pianist. As the professor finds that he has a knack for playing these drum rhythms, the story also focuses on the evolution of this character who is played by veteran actor Richard Jenkins, well known especially for his work on the TV series Six Feet Under. In the commentary on the Netflix DVD, Jenkins said that he waited a lifetime for a role such as this one . The immigrant issue erupts when Tarek, on a fluke, is picked up by the police and placed in a detention center. This devastates his girl friend Zainab sensitively played by Danai Guriria in her first role since NYU acting school. Rounding out the mix is an experienced actress Hiam Abbasses as Tarek’s mother who comes from Michigan when her son stops his daily phone calls while locked up. We see how the mother and girl friend are even afraid to visit Tarek since they are all “illegal” The emotional interplay between these four actors is outstanding as their characters represent people from three different cultures. The disruption and destruction of hopes and aspiration of the three non-citizens is expressed in a memorable scene which Jenkins releases his pent-up emotions which is reminiscent of the well known frustrating outcry of Peter Finch in the 1971 movie Network . You come away from this film not with any answers but with a sense of the pain of the people who are living these scenarios every day. 2008

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Taking Woodstock – nf – Woodstock was a massive event in which hundreds of thousands of people descended on a small town in upstate New York in 1969 to listen to music and experience peace, love, drugs and rock and roll. It also was also an historic event in that it has come to be the defining moment of that generation. Rather than try to recreate the entire event Director Ang Lee used the screen play based on Elliot Tiber’s memoir to focus mainly on one twenty something young man (played by Demetri Martin) and his parents who are holocaust survivors and owners of run down motel in the Catskills. They follow his odyssey as president of the dinky local chamber of commerce as he entices the organizers of the concert to come to his town after another town where they were planning to hold the concert rejects them. You meet the farmer on whose land the gathering was held and see how the plans for the event take root. You watch how it then grows in an inevitable manner, as it becomes a magnet for the hippies of the peace and love generation. At the same time the film takes us on the journey of this young man who ultimately comes to realize that this is his time to join his generation and move away from his needy parents although his Dad is able to gently give him a push onward. Ang Lee has done a masterful job of capturing the atmosphere, sights and sounds and even an LSD experience of that conglomeration that was Woodstock. He did this with many extras that swayed with the music and imaginary images, took off their clothes, played in the mud while communing with nature and each other. He chose not to show any newsreel clips of the actual music performers although that would have been fun to see. Since most people we know missed being at Woodstock in person or in spirit by being too old or too young, this film almost makes you feel as though you really didn’t miss it and all the planning and drama that led up to it. It was a special experience. 2009

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Pirate Radio – nf – This is just the type of movie we don’t mind having missed in the movie theatre and then catching at home on the couch while we eat our favorite treat.

It is a feel good movie that is fun to watch. We are introduced to the premise in the opening as we are told that in the year 1966 British Rock and Roll is on the music scene scene …but no one in Great Britain was allowed to listen to it on the radio…even though approximately half of the people there, 25 million people, were listening to it on sea going pirate radio stations. Then we are introduced to a great ensemble of characters who are the DJs on this boat Rock Radio floating in the North Sea and beaming music back to Great Britain. The movie grows on you as you get to know the personalities on the boat and a few little subplots- the most significant one being that the British government is planning to shut them down. The DJs reflect the exuberance and rebelliousness of the music of the time. There is a great soundtrack throughout the film which matches the mood of the events being depicted. The acting was excellent by mostly British actors with a standout performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman . It was written and directed by Richard Curtis who also did Four Weddings and A Funeral. Billed as a comedy, we found it a charming film which will touch a nostalgic button in many rock and roll fans. (2009)

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The Wrecking Crew – sp – If you are an aficionado of music between the 50s and late 80s early 90s you will find this a fascinating documentary. It is the story of studio musicians who did most of the playing for the recordings of some of the great groups of this time period. The film is lovingly put together by Denny Tedesco and includes a particular focus on Tommy Tedesco who is his father and who recently died after having participated in interviews for this film with many other of these great musicians. You probably did not know that just about all the music of Beach Boys was not recorded by them but was played for the records by the musicians affectionately self named ” The Wrecking Crew ” The film also features Carol Bass who is obviously a great guitar player and is only really known by people in the music business as these musicians did not get any recognition on the albums they recorded. They were financially well paid during this time and have no regrets for their anonymity. There are film clips from many recording sessions including one with Frank Sinatra. Apparently potential distributors have been skeptical that the producer would be able to get the rights to include all the great music that is in this film but he did it as people recognized the historic value of this documentary. The soundtrack is unbelievable and is a concert in to itself and will make a great CD. 2008

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Paris 36 – sp – They don’t make many musical these days let alone a really good one, but French Director Christophe Barratier has not only done this but has discovered a new singing star/actress, 18 year old Nora Arnezeder . The story takes place in 1936 Paris and appears to reflect the complicated political conflicts of the time as well as the romantic flavor of this setting. While the storyline is one of reopening the music theater in town, the characters do have some depth, making it a worthwhile and enjoyable experience. If you love musicals or if you are any kind of a Francophile you will not want to miss this picture. In French with subtitles. 2008

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Gotta Dance – sp – When the New Jersey Nets Professional Basketball team decided that they wanted to include a senior dance group among their half time entertainment, they advertised that they were holding open auditions. Film Producer and documentary filmmaker Dori Berinstein saw the ad and grabbed her camera equipment and decided this was the subject of a film that she wanted to make. The rest is history. 11 women and one man ranging in age from the sixties to the eighties made the team. This documentary film is about these people, their individual stories and how they came together. It showed how it is never too late to do something you really love doing and do it well. It could have been anything, but in this case it was dancing and much to even the dancer’s surprise they were molded into a cohesive group with a main feature of hip hop dancing. The film maker skillfully weaved the dancer’s interesting personal vignettes with the story of their training to ultimately perform in front of 20,000 people in a packed arena. There were moments of suspense and moments where you could share their jubilation. The film succeeded not only in telling this unusual and inspiring story but also by appearing to touch the emotions of most of the audience who gave six members of the group who visited our screening a standing ovation. (2009)

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Departures – nf – A beautiful Japanese movie which blends wonderful music with a the touching story of a young man who takes up the profession of performing the ceremony in front of loved ones of preparing people to be placed in a coffin shortly after their demise. It is a lyrical story that is moving, melancholy and yet clearly uplifting at the same time. The story allows the viewer to examine social attitudes and approaches to death. Outstanding acting and direction. This film gave us some further insight into conversations, which we once had with some friends who have been part of their Jewish community “Chevra Kadisha” those who wash the bodies after death and how meaningful they felt this experience has been to them. This film deserves the acclaim that it has received as the 2008 Academy Award Oscar for Best Foreign Film. 2008