Swiss Army Man Written and Directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert U.S., 2016 One of the hopes that people come to the Sundance Film Festival with is that they will see something wholly unique, something that they have never seen or imagined before. Swiss Army Man is that film. This feeling happens pretty quickly, as …
If you can imagine Nixon resigning in the middle of All the President’s Men, with the remainder of the film dedicated to Woodward and Bernstein fighting their editor, you have a pretty good idea how Kill the Messenger plays out. It’s not a bad film, but it is a sloppy one that squanders a firecracker start and a terrific performance from Jeremy Renner. As Gary Webb ponders whether to publish his inflammatory story, he is advised that, “Some stories are just too true to tell.” Such is the case with some scripts, which, in their admirable haste to relate the truth, forget the requirements of compelling storytelling. If you want to find the heart of Webb’s story, you’ll have to dig a little deeper.
The essence of a confidence game is as follows: the con artist describes a terrific bargain in which the mark is offered a chance in which to invest. Due to the mark’s own greed, he hands over whatever personal assets he must to the confidence man, expecting a greater return that he never receives.
The irony of the penniless cult and mind-control expert is not lost on us. Ansel Roth’s got the tools to get your loved ones back within your grasp, he’s written them down for all to read, but here he is selling copies of his latest book one hotel conference room at a time, living out of an AMC Gremlin, fishing meal vouchers out of the trash, and shoveling ketchup in his mouth with a fork.
Ultimately Scott Pilgrim vs the World is a film that its admirers promote loudly and proudly whenever the opportunity presents itself. They did it from day it opened theatrically and still do today. The problem is that few people pay attention to the rumpus. The numbers do not lie: the picture cost close to 90 million dollars and struggled to earn 47 million during its theatrical run.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Written by Edgar Wright and Michael Bacall Directed by Edgar Wright USA, Canada, 2010 If a big-budget blockbuster opens, and nobody goes to see it, does it make a noise? In the case of 2010’s Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, an ambitious adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s cult favorite graphic …
Some of this year’s Sundance comedy-dramas have had their narratives plucked from the wellspring of their director’s personal experience, though that should never excuse any shortcomings. Yesterday, I wrote a negative review of Francesca Gregorini’s treatment of motherhood in Emanuel and the Truth about Fishes. My primary beef was less with the inherent trauma at …
A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III Written by Roman Coppola Directed by Roman Coppola USA, 2013 Opens Feb. 15 in Toronto and Montreal In the opening scene of A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, the titular Swan (played by Charlie Sheen) is given a psych evaluation, wherein the screen …
Smashed Written by James Ponsoldt and Susan Burke Directed by James Ponsoldt USA 2012 imdb Simon Howell’s TIFF review The reason to see Smashed is an amazing performance by Mary Elizabeth Winstead as an alcoholic 1st grade teacher, married to an equally alcoholic music critic. Winstead’s Kate is walking a tightrope made of broken bottles, teetering …