A Tale of Love and Darkness - Movie Review by Kaely Monahan

Natalie Portman shines as a master storyteller in “A Tale of Love and Darkness” By Kaely Monahan

Natalie Portman’s "A Tale of Love and Darkness" combines the mystic allure of a foreign film with the heart jerking influence of an indie film. Adapted from Amos Oz’ autobiography, the film is both dark and poetic. Portman not only stars as Fania Oz, Amos’ mother, but she also wrote and directed the film.

This is Portman’s debut feature-length film as a director and writer, and it could not be more beautiful or well composed. Set almost entirely in Jerusalem, the story is seen through the eyes of young Amos (Amir Tessler). His world is quaint and warm, but that changes as his perfect family disintegrates.

Set in the mid-1940s after World War II, Jews from all over the world are settling in Israel, which is yet to be an independent state. It's a moment in time when anything is possible when the violence seen in Israel today could possibly be avoided.

The violent descent of the country mirrors Amos' mother's decline as if she is a foil for the country itself. Portman's Fania starts off with dreams and aspirations that are quickly dashed as the roles of wife and mother consume her. As the demands of her life increase, Israel finds itself embroiled in a bitter conflict with the native Palestinians. Fania breaks as the country does.

Portman’s version of the Jewish mother is sincere and recognizable, unlike the stereotyped portrayals that clutter many films. She is loving, doting, but also a mom who struggles to create a world of possibilities for her child.

Gilad Kahana plays the father Arieh Oz. A linguist and highly educated man, he is dedicated to his family as much as his work. However, this is a movie about a mother and her son.

We see Fania as a young girl from Eastern Europe who is uprooted by her family to Jerusalem at the outbreak of the war.

She’s a girl of hopes, dreams, and fantasies. When she marries, she turns her personal dreams into stories that she and Amos tell together. She imparts wisdom to her boy, giving him all the tools for life. It’s a tragically beautiful relationship that comes crashing to an end.

When Israel wins its nationhood, it is as though all the life goes out of Fania, leaving her son and husband at a loss. Whether there is a physical problem that could not be diagnosed or if it is  a deeper breaking of her spirit, Fania eventually dies. Meanwhile, the country is bathed in the blood of conflict.

The story, while tragic, it is unabashedly human. This could have easily been a vanity project for Portman; a chance to show off her skills as a writer, director, and actress. But the story never strays there. Instead, Portman's performance is heartfelt. But the Academy-Award winning actress doesn’t overshadow the rest of the cast. Instead, there are strong performances all around.

What makes this film even more remarkable is that it is almost entirely in Hebrew. Perhaps, it shouldn’t be too surprising since Portman was actually born in Jerusalem, though she grew up in the U.S. Nonetheless, it is quite a feat for a beloved American actress to pull off.

For a debut, Portman couldn't have done better.

• Kaely Monahan is a journalist, graduate of City University London and the creator of Popcorn Fan Film Reviews. Follow her @PopcornFans and @KaelyMonahan.

Morris from America - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

‘Morris from America’ is a coming-of-age Christmas gift  

Written/directed by:  Chad Hartigan

Starring: Markees Christmas, Craig Robinson, Lina Keller, and Carla Juri

“Morris from America”:  Morris wants to be a gangster rap artist.  Morris likes one marshmallow in his hot chocolate.  Morris is 13 years old.

Although Morris (Markees Christmas) has big dreams of super rap-stardom, he – like almost all young teens – finds himself spending most of his days emotionally confined in a world of parental and scholastic rules, while hormonal tugs between childhood and adulthood twist him into knots.  I’ve heard over the years - ad nauseam - that one’s high school or collegiate years are the best times of one’s life, but I would like to point out that middle school has to be the most confusing and turbulent.

To throw another log onto the confusing fire, Morris’ dad, Curtis (Craig Robinson), found a new job in Heidelberg, Germany and moved the two of them to this picturesque but foreign locale from Richmond. Now, Morris – the only black teen at the nearby youth center - needs to learn the local language, make friends and find positive ways to channel his frustration in this wonderfully quirky and entertaining coming-of-age story.

While Morris attempts to expand his world view on the other side of the globe, writer/director Chad Hartigan adds a turbulent and reckless catalyst, a pretty, blonde 15-year-old German girl named Katrin (Lina Keller).   Katrin smokes, drinks, takes drugs, and loves to mix it up at parties, and Morris is instantly smitten at first sight.  Although we clearly realize that she is a terrible influence on Morris, Keller and Christmas have friendly, on-screen chemistry, and some of their best scenes are when Katrin explores their racial and cultural differences.  Katrin generally likes Morris as a friend, but the initial attraction is because he looks, acts and talks differently than everyone else.   They bond over music, and the film’s soundtrack smartly plays heavy doses of rap while Morris sightsees on his own, and then it moves to techno tunes when Katrin enters his life.

Although a romantic end result seems unlikely, Morris and Katrin’s misadventures are bound to generate smiles and laughs, as we simultaneously hope that the broken curfews (and the reasons for them) do not harm our new 13-year-old friend.  Hartigan helps balance Katrin’s mischief with two likable adults to square the moral scale in the forms of his aforementioned father and 20-something German tutor, Inka (Carla Juri).

Curtis loves his son dearly and truly attempts to grant him space and freedom, but with Morris walking into the house at 12:30 a.m. without much of an explanation, Dad needs to rein in this inexperienced mass of teenage hormones.   The film deliberately spends some personal time with Curtis too, and the script does not treat him as a clueless, out-of-touch parent who blindly barks orders and lays down the law.  Hartigan effectively plays a few short scenes in which Curtis sits alone at a quiet dinner table or ponders a past loss, and the movie contrasts these solitary moments with Morris enjoying overflowing crowds at loud parties.

When Curtis and Morris do capture some instances of real communication, many of the substantive exchanges unfortunately flow in one direction, from father to son.  Morris generally keeps Curtis in the dark.  He does, however, shine a light on some of his experiences to Inka, and she warmly listens and offers mentor or “aunt like” advice.  On a larger scale, Inka is a positive female (and German) role model for Morris and another pleasant character for the movie audience.

Part of the picture’s charm is its German setting, and the beautiful summer environment steeped in foreign culture and language places Morris in unexplored territory.  For most of us, it offers the same, unfamiliar ground.

Although “Morris from America” is grounded with a familiar story arc, the film offers several surprises and a terrific breakout performance from Christmas.  With a speedy runtime of 1 hour 31 minutes, will this little summer adventure push Morris towards a future, glorious rap career?   Well, it is certainly possible.

For now, there is plenty of time to ponder lyrics, experience life and sip a cup of hot chocolate with one marshmallow.  (3.5/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Hands of Stone - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Hands of Stone  

Director: Jonathan Jakubowicz

Starring: Edgar Ramirez, Robert DeNiro, Usher Raymond, Ruben Blades, Ana de Armas, John Turturro, and Ellen Barkin

Ask any true boxing fan to list their top ten greatest boxers of all time and it's a safe bet that Roberto Durán will end up on many of the lists. Roberto Durán Samaniego is Panamanian icon, a symbol at one point during his professional boxing career of freedom for the people. Mr. Durán is widely regarded as one of the best lightweight champions of all time, dominating the division for over seven years and moving up a weight class to defeat Sugar Ray Leonard in 1980. Mr. Durán was a brawler, a fighter’s fighter who talked loud and fought hard with very little flash or flair. Mr. Durán also faced a significant amount of backlash for an in-ring incident that changed his status in Panama from a hero to a coward.

Director Jonathan Jakubowicz brings this biopic to life with the help of Edgar Ramirez, who plays Roberto Durán, and Robert DeNiro, who plays legendary boxing trainer Ray Arcel. Mr. Jakubowicz follows the linear rise and fall path for the story, combining a nice blend of boxing action, a rags-to-riches story of hard work and dedication, and also a political drama that displays the tensions with America during this time in the 1970’s.

The film begins with a defining moment for a young Roberto Durán, watching tensions build and violence erupt between U.S. soldiers and Panamanian protestors and then being shot at for stealing mangos at the U.S. occupied Panama Canal. Durán is an arrogant adolescent who grows into an equally hardheaded man who is a naturally skilled fighter. Retired trainer Ray Arcel spots this talent at a boxing match, prompting him to come out of retirement to train the young fighter and lead him to a match against Olympic and welterweight champion Sugar Ray Leonard (Usher Raymond).

The performances from all involved are great. Edgar Ramirez composes the many facets of Mr. Durán’s personality that both exalted him to iconic levels amongst his people but also ultimately lead to his self-destruction. Mr. Ramirez has a charisma that works for the character; it’s a charm that leads to people loving him but also assists in crafting menacing mind games he would use on his opponents. Robert DeNiro is the performance highlight of the film; it’s so nice to see Mr. DeNiro in this kind of role. He is reserved enough to assist his counterparts but also present enough to display a tenderness and compassion that helps him break through the tough exterior and ego that is Roberto Durán.

Unfortunately the narrative doesn’t do much to help the film reach the potential of the subject. The push to compose an encompassing biopic during this defining time in the fighter's life also leads to moments that drag the film down. Everything seen in the film can be easily found by watching one of the many documentaries done on Durán.

The fight scenes are nicely composed, a mix of the “Rocky” style of boxing photography along with pieces that emulate “Raging Bull”. However, neither really works well enough here to bring the kind of excitement one would have had watching the fighting style Durán was known for.

“Hands of Stone”, a nickname The fighter developed early in his career, offers a tame boxing experience with some really good performances. While the film may not compare well to other boxing films, as a biopic about a great fighter it succeeds enough.

Monte’s Rating

3.00 out of 5.00

Don't Breathe - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Don’t Breathe  

Director: Fede Alvarez

Starring: Stephen Lang, Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, and Daniel Zovatto

The dreaded sophomore slump, a comment successful directors are trying to avoid with their second film. Director Fede Alvarez found his name at the top of the list for the tough task of rebooting the beloved 1981 horror film “The Evil Dead” after his short film “Panic Attack!” found YouTube success. The result for “Evil Dead” was a no-holds-barred gore show that was a fresh and terrifying tribute to the original film. Mr. Alvarez could have done anything he wanted at this point, he chose to stay within the genre and write an original screenplay. “Don’t Breathe” is an unexpected combination of a bunch of different genre inspirations, a film that is as familiar as it is unique.

Rocky (Jane Levy) is a thief. Her two friends Alex (Dylan Minnette) and Money (Daniel Zovatto) are also thieves. They break into houses, steal valuables, and sell them to a dealer who trades the goods for cash. A big score comes their way, a score that will allow all them to find a better life. However, it requires them to steal from a blind war veteran (Stephen Lang) living in an abandoned area of Detroit. The thieves decide that it’s worth the risk and they break into the blind man’s house. Unfortunately the thieves have chosen the wrong house and the wrong person to steal from. Their mistake reveals secrets that place the group into a deadly game of cat and mouse.

It’s a simple premise that twists and turns every last drop of potential from it. The home invasion angle and the wolf in sheep’s clothing angle play nicely against, and with, each other throughout the film. Some film fans will see influences from Terence Young’s “Wait Until Dark”, a scene reminiscent of Lewis Teague’s “Cujo”, and touches of recent films like Jeremy Saulnier’s “Green Room” and Dan Trachtenberg’s “10 Cloverfield Lane. While these are definite influences “Don’t Breathe” also feels very unique and confident of every move that it makes.

Moments of terror and tension are peaked effectively through subtle combinations of sound design and camera movements. The creaking sound of an old wood floor builds one of the best nerve-racking moments of the film. The twists, however contrived, change the direction of the film and add additional layers of dread to the structure. Mr. Alvarez does an exceptional job of crafting these moments throughout the film. While some may categorize these scares as cheap, they are never lazy and often times are completely earned and compliment the moments that have come before it. At one point the thieves are placed in the world of the blind man and within this darkness restraint is held until an exact, perfectly timed moment. You don’t see horror films do this too often.

Stephen Lang is very good in the role of the blind man; he is a character that must display an unsuspecting demeanor that turns into a figure of intimidation and control. Mr. Lang efficiently does this all through subtle mannerisms, and simple positions of posture and movement. Jane Levy is also good, making an unlikable character change enough that the viewer can provide a small amount of hope for her escape. Mrs. Levy is tough and ambitious throughout, giving her character more value than what defines her early on in the film.

“Don’t Breathe” is not without some minor missteps. There are some inconsistencies in editing and the characters are very unlikable for long amounts of time during the film. While this creates a nice dynamic in some parts during the film it also makes the viewer somewhat uncaring of them as well.

Still, “Don’t Breathe” is better than many of the familiar, typical offerings of this kind. This is largely attributed to the talents of Mr. Alvarez who is proving to be a growing master of terror.

Monte’s Rating

4.00 out of 5.00

Southside with You - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

‘Southside with You’ recalls a very important first date  

Writer/director:  Richard Tanne

Starring:  Parker Sawyers and Tika Sumpter

“Southside with You” – “I didn't think that it was possible, but let me tell you, today, I love my husband even more than I did four years ago, even more than I did 23 years ago, when we first met.”  - Michelle Obama, 2012 Democratic National Convention

Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson met in 1989.  Michelle’s Chicago law firm hired Barack as a summer associate in between his years at Harvard Law School.  During that time, he asked her to join him at a local community meeting.

As the film begins, Michelle (Tika Sumpter) is getting ready for the meeting, checking her hair and dressing very nicely.  Her father comments on her appearance, and she assures him that Barack (Parker Sawyers) is a colleague, and she is not going on a date.

“It’s fun to look pretty,” Michelle explains to her parents about her dressy appearance.

Barack picks her up in his older, yellow compact car with a rusted-out floorboard and fresh cigarette butts in the ashtray.   When they arrive at the apparent destination, Barack says that the meeting does not start for four hours, but he thought that they could kill time by enjoying some art at a nearby museum.

Michelle did not want this to be a date, but Barack did.

Writer/director Richard Tanne offers the story of the President of the United States and First Lady’s first date in “Southside with You”.   The film takes place over nine hours or so, on an - otherwise - ordinary Chicago afternoon and evening, and the picture feels organic and sincere during this extended conversation of two people.   The narrative instantly reminded me of “Before Sunrise” (1995) starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, as their characters learn about one another over an evening and morning during an extended stroll in Vienna.

This film is very dialogue-driven as well, as Barack and Michelle discover important details about one another, that they would never discover during a busy day at the office.  For instance, Michelle explains that her father suffers from multiple sclerosis but continues to work at the City of Chicago water plant.

In addition, part of the interest for the audience is also discovering the couple’s personal feelings.  Barack expresses his frustration with his late father, because his dad never really finished what he set out to do.  He also says that his dad’s life was incomplete.  Michelle offers some comfort by stating that every man’s life is incomplete, and that is why they have sons:  to help complete their work.

Speaking of work, Sawyers and Sumpter are convincing at playing Barack and Michelle, respectively, and Sawyers especially resembles and sounds like the President of the United States.  In a recent interview with Stephen Colbert, Sawyers said that he was working on Barack’s voice and mannerisms for a while and figured that he could play him in 10 or 15 years, but suddenly, this project emerged.   Sawyers and Sumpter share good on-screen chemistry, as Barack gently promotes their time as a date, and Michelle voices her reservations, but they start to soften over the course of their afternoon and evening.

Although their first date was long, Tanne’s movie is not.   The runtime says 1 hour 24 minutes, but that must include the credits, because my watch checked in at 1 hour 16 minutes.  Indeed, the picture does wrap up to its natural conclusion, but it does not exactly feel long enough for a full-length feature movie.  I am glad that Tanne did not artificially stretch out the narrative to a 90-minute “milestone”, but the overall experience seems on the slight-side of cinema.

Also, much of the intrigue of aforementioned “Before Sunrise” is the entire picture keeps the audience wondering if Jesse (Hawke) and Celine (Delpy) will remain together at sunrise.   Here, no such suspense exists, because we – obviously - already know how Barack and Michelle’s potential relationship works out.

Still, Tanne, Sawyers and Sumpter deliver “Southside with You” with ample amounts of care and thoughtfulness in a charming character study of two exceptional individuals.  The movie is a love letter to the President of the United States and First Lady, and it conveys meaningful insight into that specific moment during Michelle Obama’s 2012 DNC speech.  (2.5/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Kubo and the Two Strings - Movie Review by Kaely Monahan

Kubo and the Two Strings – The must-see summer animated feature By Kaely Monahan

Kubo and the Two Strings is an action-packed, epic adventure that will soar into the realm of “classic.” Produced by the same studio that brought us Coraline, this animated film proves that stop-animation not only has a place in cinema, but it can hold its own against glossy computer animation.

The story is set in medieval Japan. Kubo and his bother live outside a village in a cliff-cave overlooking the sea. The boy is inventive and full of zeal, as is cleverly shown by his magical origami storytelling. However, he stands out as having a physical disability. He has only one eye. The other was cut out by his evil grandfather.

Immediately this imperfection stands out against other animated heroes. Sure there have been plenty of children’s tales with parents lost and growing up poor, but few films actually allow their protagonist to be maimed in anyway. How to Train Your Dragon is a recent example, but even in that film, Hiccup’s accident happens at the end of the story.

Kubo does not let his handicap slow him down. In fact, he is mostly fine with his single eye, and is comfortable enough to crack jokes at his own expense. His verve allows him to be a star entertainer in the village, which allows him to scrap together enough coin so he hand his mother can survive.

His mother is a waif-like creature who only comes to herself after sundown. She’s a grand storyteller herself and possesses a strong magic, which Kubo has all inherited. When she is herself she warns Kubo repeatedly to never be caught outside after dark. What seems to be a mother’s overblown concern turns into a life or death situation for Kubo.

As he discovers that his grandfather is the king of the moon and his mother is a moon nymph, who fell in love with a mortal man. His father was killed by the Moon King. And his evil aunts now can track Kubo. In last ditch effort to save her son, his mother sacrifices herself using the last bit of her magic to spirit Kubo away while she fights her sisters.

When Kubo comes back to himself, he is confronted by a snow monkey who talks. Monkey is in fact the figurine he always carried brought to life. Maternal, protective and pragmatic, Monkey protects Kubo as he starts a quest to find magical armor that will protect himself from the Mooon King. Along the way they meet Beetle—a half bug-half samurai—with a memory problem but a huge heart.

Kubo and the Two Strings is non-stop action and fun. The cast is star studded with Game of Throne’s Art Parkinson voicing Kubo; Charilze Theron voicing Monkey and Matthew McConaughey playing Beetle. Even George Takei makes an appearance as one of the villager grandfathers.

Yet even better than the voice acting was the animation. Director Travis Knight and LAIKA studios proved that stop animation is still magical and visceral—more so than traditional or computer animation. The tangible quality to the characters cannot be captured by a computer, no matter how good the software. However, the film did make use of computerized backgrounds and landscapes. Combining computer with stop-motion animation made Kubo dazzle the eye.

If this film doesn’t make it to the Academy Awards for the animation category, then the Academy is doing something wrong. The only disappointment was the lack of diverse voice actors. This film was a perfect opportunity to use Japanese or even other Asian voice actors. But instead they opted for an almost entirely white cast. Hiring Takei and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa to add some diversity doesn’t cut it. While the cast did splendidly—in fact you cannot complain about their performance—you cannot help but cringe at the Irish-accented Kubo.

Setting aside the lack of diversity, Kubo and the Two Strings soars easily to the top for best original animated story so far this year—and is a must see for kids and adults.

• Kaely Monahan is a journalist, graduate of City University London and the creator of Popcorn Fan Film Reviews. Follow her @PopcornFans and @KaelyMonahan.

Ben-Hur - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Ben-Hur  

Director: Timur Bekmambetov

Starring: Jack Huston, Toby Kebbell, Rodrigo Santoro, Nazanin Boniadi, Pilou Asbaek, and Morgan Freeman

124 Minutes

Paramount Pictures

“Ben-Hur” is a film that even the most casual filmgoer remembers. However, there are actually quite a few versions of "Ben-Hur" out, starting as early as a silent film in 1907, but the one everyone remembers is the 1959 Charlton Heston starring, William Wyler directed version. Reimagining this sword-and-sandals extravaganza seems more than just a daunting task, it seems like a foolish one. But in the current state of film nothing is sacred and there is nothing wrong with that. Today we have visionary directors who create amazing works of art, we have performers who bring stunning life to multifaceted characters, and we have technology that makes what used to take days easily happen at the push of the button. This logic makes a new, updated version of “Ben-Hur” seem completely reasonable; and with film icon Morgan Freeman and imaginative director Timur Bekmambetov, who made 2008’s “Wanted”, involved it would seem like “Ben-Hur” is in good hands.  It would seem.

Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston) is a Jewish prince living in a Roman-occupied Jerusalem. Judah is the much beloved son of his esteemed family, his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell) however is looked down upon so he takes every opportunity to display his worth to the family. Messala leaves the family to become a soldier in the Roman army; Judah stays in Jerusalem and marries his beloved Esther (Nazanin Boniadi). Messala, becoming a hero, returns to Jerusalem to oversee Pontius Pilate’s (Pilou Asbaek) safe travels through the city. An incident occurs during the visit and Judah is accused of treason by Messala and banished into slavery. Judah waits years in slavery before returning to Jerusalem for revenge.

Mr. Bekmambetov knows his way around an action scene, dazzling and beautifully so throughout his catalog at times. The highlights of this film, and when it firmly stands on two feet, occur when the action takes over. The first-person perspective on board a sinking ship being rowed by whipped slaves is utter confusion and tension; it’s a grimy moment that introduces the journey towards revenge for Judah. The chariot race in the coliseum is frenzied mayhem, a dirt storm of trampled racers, stomping horses, and screaming onlookers. It’s the culminating moment for Judah, a moment that should be both exhilarating and emotional, a moment that should signify the changes that Judah has encountered throughout his journey. These moments serve mostly as effects-laden distractions but in minuscule flashes you can see what Mr. Bekmambetov was reaching for, simply and boldly a film about revenge and redemption.

While Mr. Bekmambetov can construct great action scenes he has always struggled with the human elements. These extravagant moments of spectacle are devoid of any kind of emotional drama that would display the anger, grief, and confusion that divided two brothers and placed them in an arena where death is seemingly inescapable. In many other instances you can feel the struggling script grasping for any kind of emotion, whether the lopsided romantic relationships, the heavy handed moments of misguided religious movements that lack any sort of resonance, or the divisions pushed along that connect conflicts of the powerful and the seemingly powerless. It all ends up being a disordered mix of incomplete ideas.

“Ben-Hur” tries to be a film that offers the characteristics associated with revenge films while also providing qualities associated with redemptive moral tales. In small ways the film succeeds in displaying a journey punctuated by an awakening through faith. It also ends up being an uneven mess of themes punctuated by moments of emotionless action. Still, in the reboot film world, there is always hope that the next version of “Ben-Hur” will be better.

Monte’s Rating

2.00 out of 5.00

War Dogs - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

‘War Dogs’ carries plenty of comedic and dramatic bite  

Directed by: Todd Phillips

Starring:  Jonah Hill, Miles Teller, Ana de Armas, Kevin Pollak

“War Dogs” – “I’ve got friends in low places” – Garth Brooks

Most of us – or perhaps, all of us – had that one friend who always pushed the envelope and thought that any sort of “rule” was simply a four-letter word.  I certainly had such a buddy in high school, and we broke a few four-letter words, and in the aftermath, my parents found me guilty by association and participation a few times. (A few times too many, I may add.)  Eventually, I wised up and - quite frankly - haven’t seen this friend since my senior year.

David (Miles Teller) and Efraim (Jonah Hill) were best friends but haven’t seen each other since their sophomore year.  They did catch up about 10 years later at a funeral, and just after the services ended, they connected on a drive in Miami.  Soon, Efraim hires David to work for his company, AEY.  Since David’s career aspirations are waning as a massage therapist, he jumps at the chance for a new opportunity.

Now, Efraim lived on the edge in high school, and his dangerous life arc has accelerated, because his company – in which he is the CEO – sells weapons to the U.S. military during the Iraq War.

“War Dogs” – directed and co-written by Todd Phillips (“The Hangover”, “Old School”) and based upon a true story – acts as both a comedy and an intriguing drama, and Teller and Hill seamlessly handle both tones with ease.    In 2004, Teller’s David is struggling to make his mark in the world and stands on loose, economic ground.  Simultaneously, he is morally grounded and enjoying a solid relationship with his supportive girlfriend, Iz (Ana de Armas).

Meanwhile, Hill’s Efraim rides into David’s life on a south Florida hurricane with no attachments and limited scruples, so their past friendship-foundation is greatly tested because of their present personas and value systems.   The narrative delivers tension between the two, when Efraim continually pushes the previously-mentioned envelope.  This takes David down a questionably-moral path, but he buys in, because so much money changes hands and falls into his pockets and duffle bags.

With the evolution of their friendship working on a micro-level, Phillips rips us on a macro-level rollercoaster ride to a few far-reaching places, including Iraq and Albania.  He films these locales (which are actually in Morocco, El Centro, California and Romania) with great polish and care, as bleak deserts and decrepit, rusted warehouses look purposely miserable and dank, respectively, on the big screen.  Efraim and the newly-trained David circle the globe and negotiate millions of dollars with government officials and other parties who are not necessarily official.  In the process, Phillips pulls back a curtain and exposes seedy dealings and pallets of cold, hard cash and lets us watch two 20-something kids fake it until they make it.

In one precarious sequence, a Jordanian driver named Marlboro (Shaun Toub) drives the pair from Jordan to Bagdad to deliver the “product”.   Since Iraq is a war zone, the trip seems incredibly risky.  Marlboro, however, says it will be safe and gives them a 50/50 chance of making through it alive.

Terrific, right?

This particular trip through the desert symbolizes their relationship, because even though they both fear for their lives, Efraim pushes to make the journey a reality, while David simply finds himself in perilous circumstances.

The solid supporting cast members - including de Armas, Kevin Pollak and a special appearance from an actor from “The Hangover” – help round out a well-oiled film.  Teller is very good as the straight-man, but this is Jonah Hill’s movie.  In his best performance since “Moneyball” (2011), Hill plays Efraim with a serious case of arrested development, a complicated, sleazy bravado and an occasional stoner-laugh which generates lots of unexpected giggles and cackles from the audience.   This very funny film also keeps us on edge, and, overall, it feels like a first cousin to the outstanding “Three Kings” (1999).  Hey, there’s nothing like having friends and family around when breaking a few rules.  (3/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Florence Foster Jenkins - Movie Review by Kaely Monahan

  Florence Foster Jenkins: Failure to Success

By Kaely Monahan

Films like Florence Foster Jenkins are true delights that remind us of the good things in life. In this biopic, Meryl Streep stars as Florence, the 1940s aristocrat and singer extraordinaire who takes New York City by storm. But like her contemporaries, she does not have the voice of an angel. Rather she is horrible--arrhythmic and flat--and with a voice like nails on a chalkboard.

At her side is her doting husband St. Claire, performed by the perpetually sad-eyed Hugh Grant. Their marriage is something rarely seen in film. It is in no way sexual. Rather, theirs is a love that transcends into the chivalrous almost medieval love between a knight and a lady. However, that does not stop St. Claire from having a secret girlfriend on the side, and his own apartment separate from Florence.

Nonetheless, he loves Florence. He doesn't even hesitate to aid her in her quest to start singing again. And with her fortune, it's not difficult to find a respected teacher and hire a pianist. Indeed, Florence has a whole community that adores her--whether for her or her money is up for debate. She seemingly funds the entire New York music scene. Between playing the patron to maestros and throwing lavish dinners to raise money for the arts, Florence flutters like a fairy who sees only the good in the world.

And St. Claire ensures that her fantasy stays intact by shielding her for those who would mock her. Journalists are bought off and only those of the most elite music societies are allowed to attend her concerts. Anyone who is new to Florence's performances are quickly instructed on the proper etiquette--no laughing or jeering, and lots of applause.

Yet even those who would mock her cannot help but praise her. She puts her entire self into her performances--and you can't help but applaud that.

And Streep does much the same. Her performance is without reproach. She imbibes Florence with such sincerity and innocence while at the same time hitting all the comedic moments with a punch. And there are many in this film. It’s impossible to not laugh in awe of her musical talent—or rather lack of it. Streep proves yet again that she is the queen of Hollywood. There is nothing she can't do--no part out of her reach. She captures Florence's complexity, which at first seems hidden beneath a frivolous jejune view of life. Yet the film reveals Florence's tragic past as well.

At her side is Simon Helberg as Comsé McMoon, her private pianist. The Big Bang Theory star shows off his concert-pianist skills, which are genuine. His fingers have to fly in order to keep up with Streep. And many of the scenes where they are together were recorded live rather than redone later in a studio. That makes his performance all the more incredible, for he had to react to whatever Streep would do while staying in character.

And those moments are gold. Streep is giving her all as Florence while Helberg’s McMoon is trying is utmost best to not flounder against her terrible notes. Those scenes are some of the very best in the film.

It would be easy for anyone to wilt under the star power of Streep and Grant, but Helberg rises to the challenge and proves he can do more than just be a geeky engineering—and he’s quite a scene stealer.

We can sympathize with McMoon, who clearly had no idea what he was getting into and can’t understand why everyone praises Florence so highly when she is clearly terrible. And that’s the crux of the film. Why do people love her so much? Is it because she funds the music scene? Or they are bought off by St. Claire to be an adulating audience? Or is it because many of her audience members can't actually hear anything and only think she's talented? Or is something more?

That said, only those who love and support Florence (or are bought by St. Claire) are allowed to hear her sing—that is until she decides to rent out Carnegie Hall and sing for the troops.

Throughout the entire film, there is a moral dilemma. Where is the line between supporting someone and patronizing them? Yet, in the end, you can’t help but love Florence and want to see her succeed.

Her joy of music is something transcendent and rarely seen. The fact that she gives her all to it sets her apart. And while she will be remembered for singing poorly, at least she’ll be remembered for singing. And the real Florence said much the same.

• Kaely Monahan is a journalist, graduate of City University London and the creator of Popcorn Fan Film Reviews. Follow her @PopcornFans and @KaelyMonahan.

Hell or High Water - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Hell or High Water  

Director: David Mackenzie

Starring: Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges, Dale Dickey, Katy Mixon, and Gil Birmingham

I have two younger brothers. From the outside one might watch the antics of three grown siblings insulting each other and describe the behavior as dysfunctional, and with the type of cringe inducing comments that we would make it would be very easy. However, and some of you who have brothers may completely understand, this behavior is normal. One minute you are ready to throw punches, or are already throwing punches, and the next you are laughing the kind of laugh that you’ll remember your entire life. No hurt feelings, no resentment, just the loyalty and love of brothers.

At the core of “Hell or High Water”, directed by David Mackenzie who last helmed the prison drama “Starred Up” and written by Taylor Sheridan who wrote the drug enforcement drama “Sicario”, is a character study about brothers and the complicated relationship that defines and motivates them. At the surface is a story about two bank-robbing brothers fighting to save the family farm from corporate corruption in West Texas. “Hell or High Water” is a shrewdly composed, wonderfully acted modern-day western.

Toby (Chris Pine) is a divorced dad who, out of desperation, organizes a plan with his ex-con brother Tanner (Ben Foster) to rob a string of West Texas banks. It’s a last ditch effort for the brothers to keep the bank from foreclosing on their family farm. It doesn’t take long for the robberies to find the attention of an almost retired Texas Ranger named Marcus (Jeff Bridges) and his partner Alberto (Gil Birmingham). As in any great western all roads eventually lead to a brutal, violent confrontation.

The structure of “Hell or High Water” has all the characteristics found in any form of a heist film, cloaked robbers with pistols on the run from lawmen with pistols. It’s an undeniable western motif, simply substitute a pick-up truck for a horse and many of the same qualities are easily found in this film. But it’s more than just that, there is so much stimulating detail involved in nearly every beautiful, portrait-worthy moment here. From the stunning landscapes corrupted with rotating oil pumps, the collapsing cities around otherwise pristine bank buildings, a touch of graffiti that tells as much a story as any line of dialog in the film, the world weary yet hard working people pushing along in the face of despair; the details are exquisitely composed offering a story that is more than just genre defining characteristics.

Adding to these visuals is a soundtrack by the enigmatic Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. For music fans think of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, a group that consistently evolved and dissected themes of love, death, and violence with a polish of American blues and punk-rock features. The composition within this film is similar, expansive and surging without become overly elaborate. The music is a character all itself.

Included in this story are four of the best performances seen this year. Chris Pine does a great job with a very quiet role, adding subtly touches of a man with everything to gain and lose. Ben Foster does off-kilter consistently better than most actors; his no-holds-barred mentality adds a great contrast to the more restrained Mr. Pine. The dynamic between the actors playing brothers is fantastic, at a moment miles away from any kind of mutual understanding and the next completely connected and ready to sacrifice everything for each other. This relationship is reflected with two other characters, two Texan Rangers. Jeff Bridges has played this role before, a tough-as-nails cowboy stuck in a world that doesn’t need him anymore; Mr. Bridges is brilliant. Gil Birmingham plays the partner, a half-Comanche and half-Mexican, with compassion and respect. Whether the calm reactions to being racially ridiculed and completely disrespected or the appreciation and respect he has for his partner, Mr. Birmingham is the most admirable character in a world of less than admirable people. It’s another brotherly relationship, while not by blood but rather by occupational brotherhood. It’s a balance for the two characters that is played with ease.

“Hell or High Water” is at times starkly comedic, at times wholly visceral, and at other times a cutting commentary on the economic state. It’s a western, a heist film, a detective story, and a family drama. It has a little bit of everything that makes going to the movies such an amazing experience.

Monte’s Rating

4.50 out of 5.00

Equity - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

“Equity” raises plenty of capital in a female-driven Wall Street drama  

Directed by:  Meera Menon

Written by:  Amy Fox

Starring:  Anna Gunn, Sarah Megan Thomas and Alysia Reiner

“Equity” – “I like money.  I do.”  - Naomi Bishop

Speaking on a panel with a few other women, Naomi Bishop (Anna Gunn) gives that answer when asked, “What’s that thing that really makes you want to get up in the morning?”

Well, Naomi certainly is the right business, because she works as an investment banker in New York City and specializes in taking companies public, nine in all.   Director Meera Menon does not illustrate Naomi’s wealth with fancy cars or big vacations.  Although Naomi lives in a gorgeous Manhattan apartment, she has zero time for rest and relaxation, because she is always working.

Unfortunately, she suffered a major setback in the office, when her latest initial public offering (IPO) fell apart, because she ruffled her client’s feathers.  With Naomi’s boss dishing out regular verbal reprimands and feedback like “this doesn’t look like your year”, she feels all the pressure to get her newest IPO - Cachet, a security company that is launching a social network – right, but the Ghost from Failed Public Offerings Past is spooking her.  Naomi’s ghost and other problems cause her legit concern, but she pushes forward with the hope that Cachet will be different.

What is different about Menon’s film?  Three strong female characters are the leads in this tense Wall Street drama, and the actresses do a terrific job of representing career-oriented women in different stages of life and under varied personal-choice circumstances.

Naomi, unmarried and in her 40s, never had money as a kid and worked extremely hard for years for her lucrative career.   She plays by the rules but also knows how to play the game in order be a rainmaker for her clients.

Erin (Sarah Megan Thomas) – about 10 years younger - works for Naomi but feels woefully underpaid and underappreciated and struggles to balance her career and home life with her husband.

Samantha (Alysia Reiner) completes the triad, but she is a public servant lawyer who investigates white-collar crime, and she may have Naomi in her legal crosshairs.  Now, Samantha enjoys living in a happy marriage with her partner and raising two kids, so working long hours for a small government salary results in some pressure in the home too.

“Equity” does a good job of pulling back the curtains, and we clearly see the stresses in these women’s lives, while they manage or scrutinize the Cachet deal.   Naomi and Erin hope that their target IPO price of $32-$34/share is correct, so the stock will then take off, but so much elbow grease and saleswomanship in the form of international travel, constant meetings, phone calls, and presentations are needed.  On the other hand, when times get difficult, we see warm, feminine smiles are also called upon as well to help close the deal.   Samantha is not immune to using her sex appeal either, as she purposely hits on an unsuspecting broker to get vital information which she needs for her ongoing investigation.    In all such cases, the women clearly do not wish to play this card, but it is card they sometimes believe they have to play.

The film’s story arc plays through the Cachet deal to its (positive or negative) conclusion, and Naomi must recognize and dodge unforeseen financial shenanigans and landmines in order for the deal to thrive.  If not, then she may not politically survive.   Thankfully, the script does not patronize or take shortcuts in developing these roadblocks, because the hurdles to the IPO’s success are not dependent upon Naomi’s gender, but – instead – hard work, karma a little bit of luck in Wall Street’s dirty financial playground.

“Equity” is an effective and intriguing drama on a couple of levels with the film’s title holding a clear double meaning.   The equity markets of Wall Street may be gender-neutral, but for these women, society in 2016 still makes it very, very difficult – but not completely impossible - to have it all.

(3/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Anthropoid - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

‘Anthropoid’ doubles as a WWII thriller and an important Czech history lesson  

Director:  Sean Ellis

Writers:  Sean Ellis and Anthony Frewin

Starring:  Cillian Murphy, Jaime Dornan, Toby Jones, Charlotte Le Bon, Anna Geislerova, and Alena Mihulova

“Anthropoid” - “No one need think that the world can be ruled without blood.  The civil sword shall and must be red and bloody.” – Andrew Jackson

Jackson’s disconcerting comment about ruling unfortunately tends to prove true, because foreign nations – generally speaking - primarily use force to control a sovereign neighbor, and we have seen – and read about - way too many examples of this throughout human history.   Conversely, the conquered people can carry disdain for their occupiers, so blood can flow in both directions.  After Germany occupied Czechoslovakia in 1939, the SS ruled with an iron fist, and soon Reinhard Heydrich – the main architect of The Final Solution - ran operations on the ground.

In director Sean Ellis’ “Anthropoid”, he throws the audience into the middle of this conflict between the Germans and the Czech resistance, but his film is not a battlefront war movie in which armies are pummeling one another for two hours.  Instead, it is a real-life spy thriller, and the name Anthropoid refers to a specific, secret Czech mission.  Rather than creating a flashy, Hollywood-like production like “Valkyrie” (2008), this movie’s tenor and mood feel like the excellent British war picture, “’71” (2015).  Ellis’ film lives and breathes in gritty and earthy tones and captures many important personal moments of despair and worry among the Czech people that make it an affecting experience.

Josef Gabcik (Cillian Murphy) and Jan Kubis (Jamie Dornan) are soldiers in the Czech army, and they parachute into the country in December 1941 to meet the resistance and help enact Operation Anthropoid.   Josef and Jan both carry serious mindsets, and rightly so, with German soldiers standing on seemingly every Prague street corner with guns in hand, and the Czech resistance fighters hidden amongst the populace.  Ellis’ camera enters ordinary living rooms and concealed backrooms in public cafes where resistance organizers and fighters regularly rap secret knocks and speak in whispers in order operate unseen and unheard by German troops.

During the movie’s first hour, it lays quiet and intense groundwork.  As Josef and Jan settle into their new environment, they develop working relationships with Hajsky (Toby Jones), Mrs. Moravec (Alena Mihulova) and Karel (Jiri Simek) and romantic ones with Lenka (Anna Geislerova) and Marie (Charlotte Le Bon), respectively.   By and large, the film’s first half is “mostly free” from violence while careful planning takes center stage, but not everyone in the resistance is in agreement with actually carrying out Operation Anthropoid.

Heydrich, also known as The Butcher of Prague, executed 5,000 Czech prisoners as one of his first acts in the country, and some worry about a ferocious Nazi retaliation to Anthropoid.  Will the Germans wipe Czechoslovakia off the map?  This internal debate raises the stakes and churn while Josef and Jan move forward with their mission.  Murphy and Dornan are very convincing as soldiers, and while Murphy’s Josef is a cool customer with a frequent smoke always close by, Dornan’s Jan sometimes wavers in spirit and carries anxiety over actually pulling the trigger on anyone.   This dynamic also leaves the audience to wonder how Anthropoid will pan out.

Interestingly, “Anthropoid” really becomes a tale of two pictures:  before the mission and after the mission.   Beforehand, the promise of danger is close, and afterwards, it appears in brutally visual ways, including a long, extended climax, instead of a restrained denouement.  The film turns into a more familiar urban warfare battle, and Josef, Jan and other young fighters are thrown into a visceral and gripping conflict that generates vigorous hand-wringing.   It reminded me of a smaller-scale Ramelle clash in “Saving Private Ryan” (1998), and the impact is felt on-screen and off-screen.

“Anthropoid” is superbly acted, shot and written, and Ellis delivers an exceptional war picture that doubles as a gripping thriller and an important Czech history lesson, as Murphy, Dornan, Jones, Mihulova, Geislerova, Le Bon, and others put faces on the Czech people who lived through the period.   Operation Anthropoid may not be regularly reiterated in American schools and textbooks, but it is an eternally-critical moment for the Czech Republic.  This film boldly captures this difficult, tragic and heroic time in the country’s collective memoir and is another reminder that Jackson’s reference to the civil sword is, in fact, red and bloody.

(3.5/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

An interview with Simon Helberg of Florence Foster Jenkins by Jeff Mitchell

Simon Helberg - of “The Big Bang Theory” fame - stars alongside Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant in “Florence Foster Jenkins”, a biopic about an opera singer – without a suitable singing voice – who became famous in the 1940s.  In the film, her husband, St. Clair (Grant), and her friends do not wish to hurt Florence’s (Streep) feelings, so no one tells her the frank truth about her off-key vocals, and her new pianist, Cosme McMoon (Helberg), blindly walks into this elaborate charade.   Streep is a trained singer, and Helberg is an accomplished pianist, and they performed together behind the scenes and on-screen.  

The Phoenix Film Festival took part in an interview call with Helberg and many other journalists (who contributed to this interview), and he spoke about his character’s motivations, his thoughts on why Florence’s friends kept up the illusion and playing music on set with Meryl Streep.

“Florence Foster Jenkins” opens on Friday, Aug. 12.

Q:  What drew you to the part of Cosme McMoon?

SH:  Well, I couldn’t think of one reason why I wouldn’t be interested in or (wouldn’t) claw my way into this movie.  There are the obvious people that were making it and involved in it (who) are perhaps the best ever at this, between Meryl, (director) Stephen Frears, Hugh, (composer) Alexandre Desplat, (costume designer) Consolata Boyle, and (production designer) Alan MacDonald.   I mean, all I could say is that I feel like I’m accepting an award. 

The script is so unique, and the scenes really speak to me.  (It’s) not just the love of music, but this idea of perception and the disparity between our perception of ourselves and what other people perceive.  Does it matter that we hear one voice in our head, and other people hear a different one?  Maybe it all leads to the same place.

There was just something beautifully poetic about Florence’s journey.  I felt that the script did an amazing job at celebrating this woman and celebrating this love and joy that she found in music. 

Q:  Your character (showed) tons of facial expressions.  They are a huge part of your performance, and they went from very subtle to overt.  In the scene when Florence first sings, were you already aware of what Meryl was going to sound like or were those expressions real?

SH:  Well, both I guess.  (Meryl and I) had already rehearsed (the music) for about a week and a half, and we actually recorded at Abbey Road as well, which is amazing.  So, we had a lot of time to laugh and to figure out what we were doing. 

Of course, they ended up wanting to shoot it all live, so all of the stuff that we recorded was kind of thrown out, and because of that, we (were) playing all of that music live as you are seeing it and as it was being shot, which I think helped.  Well, it helped us contain our laughter and focus, because we had to actually get through the music, but it also made all of it very authentic. 

Q:  You speak with a slightly higher pitch in this film and changed up your speaking patterns.  What was behind your decision to do that and is that something that you pulled from actual recordings of McMoon’s voice, or things that you researched about him?

SH:  The most that I could find – in doing this research – were some facts and little tidbits of information that were in the movie, but there is a recording of him, actually.  He is much older, and he talks about that night at Carnegie Hall, and I had a moment of thinking, “I don’t know how much I want to use this as inspiration.”

McMoon was probably, I think, in his 70s at that point.  (His voice) was a bit different than I had pictured it, and his outlook was very different than in the script.  I thought (that) you really always want to start with the script.  To me, I just saw (his voice) vividly and heard him vividly in this way.  I saw him as being very pure, very chaste, very innocent, and having no sense of cynicism.  He hadn’t really been corrupted in any way whatsoever.  There is something very chaste about him and very alien at the same time.

There’s also the fact that it was the ‘40s, and he was walking into this elevated high society, cosmopolitan lifestyle.  People actually did take speech classes, and they (had) this anglicized way of talking back then.  All of those things combined led me to (McMoon’s speaking patterns in the movie).

PFF:  There is this great moment when McMoon asks St. Clair about his (unusual marriage) arrangement with Florence at St. Clair’s apartment.  Later, McMoon speaks to Florence at his apartment, and I thought that he really wanted to insert his opinion on Florence and St. Clair’s relationship but thought better of it.  He was protecting her like everyone else in the movie.

Later - at Carnegie Hall – McMoon says to Florence in a very confident voice, “We can do it.”

I think at that moment, at least to me, (the message) turned from protection to support.  Is that how you see it?  What do you think?

SH:  Wow.  You have really tapped into so many things that I thought, but I didn’t know that anyone else would necessarily pick up on.  All that you said is actually something that – at some point – I was cognizant of. 

There was a real moment there when I felt (that St. Clair thought or felt), “How dare you, Sir, ask me (that).  Of course, I love her.”

(Later,) Florence (goes) to McMoon’s apartment, and (the audience sees) how broken that she is by St. Clair.  This innocent, little McMoon is now somewhat corrupted by the harsh and strange reality of the relationship that Florence and St. Clair have with each other, and he - all of sudden - does have to step up.  He does feel this protective desire. 

Then, in Carnegie Hall, yes, that is the moment too.  You know that Florence is scared.  It’s just so beautiful the way the script is that you just see all of the colors of these people.  That is his moment.  He has that bond.

McMoon is the only one that understands the music, really, with her.  St. Clair doesn’t.  They don’t play music together.  So, here is this transition from, “OK, I’ll help this woman to – you know what?  Let’s do this.”

This is important not just for Florence but for McMoon.  We’re in it together.  We have something greater than this kind of career-minded or reputation-focused frame of mind.  We have the love of music, and it doesn’t matter, nothing else matters.

Q:  It is amazing to me how everyone around Florence continued to just keep up her fantasy.  She was so protected.  People truly did love her, but why do you think people fell in love with her so much?

SH:  Well, I think that there’s almost nothing more human than failure.  I think it’s funny, and it’s tragic, and it’s comforting, but only when it’s done passionately.  Only when somebody is putting themselves out there genuinely and ironically and aiming for the fences and kind of falling flat, no pun intended. 

I think that’s one element of it, and the fact that she was so filled with joy, so moved by music and wanted to share that joy and that love of music with people.  I think it’s just magnetic.  I mean, it’s like watching a little child just with total abandon singing out (loud) and dancing, and the part of your brain that has any kind of judgment or criticism of this is overwritten by the joyous part.  Whether people were laughing or their jaws were on the floor, I think that they were enjoying themselves. 

Q:  Since the movie is a period piece based on real life events, what was the most challenging aspect of making the film?

SH:  Combining the music and the acting was the most challenging part.  Being hired as an actor and then having the music take over was such an enormous part of the film. 

Meryl was going to sing and then (the filmmakers) wanted to do it live.  For her to sing live, they needed the piano to be live, so (the music) is going to be different every time.  So there is just the pressure of getting this music done live, while they’re shooting us.  Working with Meryl and Stephen in this incredible movie was a built-in sort of pressure, and it was challenging. 

On top of that, to find this character and to do it simultaneously, it felt (that) it’s already hard enough to play piano with two hands.  So it felt (that) I had eight arms and was trying to do multiple things, but, of course, you want to be faithful to these characters, because they’re real.  At the same time, there wasn’t a ton of information on them, so that was sort of liberating, because the script was “the Bible”.

Ultimately, it was great fun, even when it was sometimes brutally challenging. 

Q:  The world is about to find out that you are a very talented pianist from this movie, which they probably didn’t know before.  What else do you wish that the world knew about you?

SH:  Oh, I’m not that much of a showoff.  I’m good with the piano.  That’s cool.  I love acting, and especially in a case like this, sometimes, it requires other talents. I’m interested in discovering what else I might be able to do.  When I find things that I think I can’t do, it’s torturous sometimes, but it’s very gratifying to push through (it), and this (movie) was no exception.  I did not expect that I’d be able to play all of these (musical) pieces, and there were times when I thought, “Well, this one I can’t do.  Well, this one I definitely (can do), or I’m not going to get through (this one)…”

I just felt that if Meryl is going to sing all of (these songs) live, I better do my best to get there. 

Indignation - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

‘Indignation’ sneaks up on us and emotionally resonates    

Writer/director: James Schamus

Starring: Logan Lerman, Sarah Gadon and Tracy Letts

“Indignation” – For many valid reasons, one can look back at the 1950s as a prosperous and warm time in America.   Manufacturing and housing boomed, and visions of “Leave it to Beaver”, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, and Marilyn Monroe are dancing in my head to Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock” when thinking about those “Happy Days”.   On the other hand, the Korean War took place from 1950 to 1953, segregation divided schools and the threat of Communism kept a sizable portion of the country awake at night.

For Marcus Messner (Logan Lerman), his task at hand was not to contemplate these themes of the day but instead, travel from Newark, N.J. to Ohio and begin his studies – via a scholarship - at Winesburg College in 1951.    With a strong working-class background and an intellectually curious persona, Marcus asks insightful questions in the classroom and hits the books very hard, but his upbringing did not prepare him for some of the school’s customs, his unsupportive roommates, an overbearing dean, and most of all, a gorgeous, whip smart coed named Olivia Hutton (Sarah Gadon).   While working at the library on a random weekday evening, Marcus cannot concentrate as Olivia sits at a nearby table and reads her textbooks, while her right leg casually swings back and forth for - seemingly - hours.

Writer/director James Schamus’ wonderfully-crafted film is a story about boy-meets-girl, but Marcus and Olivia’s courtship sails in trying waters due to issues of sexual repression and mental illness.  In 1951, these matters were more problematic, because sexual repression was more prevalent and mental illness was less understood.

It is easily understood, however, that Schamus encourages the audience to truly discover the key characters’ motivations, dispositions and behaviors with the film’s purposely relaxed pacing.  He takes his time with the material and features several scenes with extended one-on-one conversations with Marcus and his mother (Linda Emond), Dean Caudwell (Tracy Letts) and Olivia.   The pacing may be relaxed, but the dialogue of ideas between the leads carries a great deal of gravitas, as Marcus attempts to sift through new relationships and experiences.  Although Ohio is 500 miles from Newark, it might as well be 5 million, and his only support, his only life raft, his only comfort is Olivia, but ironically, Marcus only partially understands her story.

Olivia – a beautiful, blonde-haired, fair-skinned French literature major – sports a cool, calm temperament, because she knows that she is the smartest person in any room. Gadon’s Olivia masterfully conveys this by always directly addressing Marcus with a quiet intensity when - for example - exclaiming her love of escargots or explaining portions of her sorted history with the hope that he fills in the blanks.  Marcus usually doesn’t catch on due to his naivety.  This frustrates Olivia, but their connection is real and loving, and as audience member, I found their relationship easy to champion despite their differences.  Credit Gadon and Lerman for their layered performances and on-screen chemistry and credit Schamus for fostering these lovely moments of conversation and attraction.

This is a picture which wraps itself in the genuine sights and sounds of the collegiate experience.  The leadership delivers their authority with fond odes of tradition, rules and attendance slips, amongst the lush green grounds, beautiful courtyards, formal classrooms, and a sober chapel.  The film not only conveys a picturesque setting but offers careful droplets of personal lighting for Olivia and Marcus.  We see gentle glows of Olivia in the aforementioned library and similar glimmerings of the two in a French restaurant and also in an emotional dream sequence which captures the hopes and daydreams of true connection.

“Indignation” is a film that sneaks up on us.  The movie lulls and nurtures us into this rocky lullaby and discovery of first love but develops into something more, something important and then resonates with deep thoughts of Marcus and Olivia’s precious connection…and our own happy days.  (3.5/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Don't Think Twice - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

‘Don’t Think Twice’ takes a serious look at improv comedy  

Writer/director:  Mike Birbiglia

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

“Don’t Think Twice” – Have you ever attended an improv show?   I have been a few times over the last 10 years, and I always come away feeling very impressed with the entire experience.   Now, the performers seem to have the most difficult jobs, because they need to devise funny material – on the spot – based upon random audience suggestions and work in concert with their comedic brothers and sisters for 90 minutes or so.

Not easy.

“Don’t Think Twice” is a drama about a fictional, NYC improv troupe called The Commune, and although the film captures funny moments – especially on-stage – it is much more about the industry’s challenges and the comedians’ struggles.

Again, not easy.

The movie effectively opens with a shot of six empty chairs placed on-stage, and they represent the six Commune players – Miles (Mike Birbiglia), Jack (Keegan-Michael Key), Samantha (Gillian Jacobs), Lindsay (Tami Sagher), Allison (Kate Micucci), and Bill (Chris Gethard) – who are about to start a show.   Backstage, this tightknit group of 30-somethings rev each other up, and then everyone touches an inanimate “good luck bear” – for, of course, good luck – before racing onto the stage.

In their opening and subsequent performances, writer/director Mike Birbiglia and cinematographer Joe Anderson turn the camera into a seventh person.  The film’s Steadicam moves effortlessly around and in between the comics as they perform, and the result gives the movie audience a unique and pleasing perspective.  We seem to move around the stage with the six actors who dream up their immediate improv ideas, and the effect best resembles a smaller-scaled version of Martin Scorsese’s camerawork of The Rolling Stones in the concert film, “Shine a Light” (2008).

Now, The Rolling Stones are megastars, but The Commune players are not.  While they deliver sparkling and hilarious jokes, skits, stories, and quips worthy of huge paydays, the big jobs – like “Weekend Live!” (a sketch comedy show that best resembles “Saturday Night Live”) - are extremely few and far between.   Scoring a “Weekend Live!” cast member spot is like winning a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.  Until one wins such a “lottery”, an improv comic probably deals with difficult financial plights.  In the film, they wait tables, struggle to make rent, receive monetary help from parents, and sometimes live off a diet of hummus and chips, and Birbiglia captures all of this in an organic way through their daily trials and tribulations.

In one particular, telling scene, Miles runs into an old friend from high school, Liz (Maggie Kemper).  Like Miles, Liz is in her mid-30s, but unlike him, she has most of her life together.  She works internationally, dresses professionally and is well-spoken.  Meanwhile, Miles, unfortunately, seems trapped in a time warp since his early 20s, and his predicament is almost entirely due to his profession’s financial limitations.  A one point, Liz stops by Miles’ apartment but very clearly states that she will not stay overnight at “his dorm”, and her description of his place is 100 percent accurate.

Despite money problems, these comedians are best of friends and a family.  Family sticks together through the best and worst of times, but in this case, the best and worst of times can occur on the same day, every day. The best is when they write, practice and perform together, and the worst is the remainder of each day.  In fact, as the movie states, there are three rules of improv, and the second rule applies to on and off-stage events: “It’s all about the group.”

This second rule is gravely tested, however, when one Commune player might find a taste of serious success, and the reaction from the other comics is at the heart of Birbiglia’s film.  The results are a fascinating look at a figurative family of human beings who learn life’s chief rule: it isn’t fair.   With Birbiglia’s years of firsthand improv experience, “Don’t Think Twice” fairly and successfully depicts the joys and troubles of the performers, and we learn the hard way that conjuring up funny material might actually be the easiest part of their job.  (3/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

An interview with "Indignation" director James Schamus by Jeff Mitchell

James Schamus owns an extensive list of impressive credits.  He wrote “The Ice Storm” (1997), co-wrote “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000) and produced “Brokeback Mountain” (2005) and “Suffragette” (2015), and now, he directed his first feature film, “Indignation” (2016).  

“Indignation” is a superbly-crafted drama about boy-meets-girl on an Ohio college campus in 1951, and Mr. Schamus – who also wrote the screenplay based upon the novel by Philip Roth – stopped in Phoenix and found some time to sit down and speak with the Phoenix Film Festival about his new movie.

“Indignation” opens on Friday, Aug. 5 and stars Logan Lerman, Sarah Gadon and Tracy Letts.

PFF: “Indignation” is a story about boy-meets-girl, and it takes place in 1951, when sexual repression was more prevalent and mental illness was less understood.  In 2016, do you look back at this film and think - as a society - that we have come a long way or believe that we really have not changed much at all?

JS:  I wish the answer was the former, not the latter.  I think things have changed decidedly, and “Indignation” is a story very specific to its time.  Our young hero, Marcus (Lerman), has - by any young man’s standards in many eras - a fabulous first date but is thrown in a way that a lot of young people today would find very odd and old-fashioned. 

On the other hand, the denouement of that interaction and the way Olivia’s (Gadon) part in it is punished by a social structure which keeps trotting out an age-old rhetoric – in this case, a kind of slut-shaming and blame-gaming – it is remarkable to me that it is very much the culture right now. 

It was tricky.  We have a main character, a protagonist, who I hope we really empathize with and identify with, and I love this kid, but Marcus is also clueless.  He does not read the evidence in front of him of what this young woman, Olivia, has actually gone through.   That was a tough balancing act.

PFF:  I really appreciate the movie’s pacing.  You took your time with the material, and many times the film features extended conversations between two characters.  Was the pacing a partial-ode to movies of that time, or did you wish to highlight the dynamics of the characters and their relationships?

JS:  It is more of the latter.  I was really focused on how to stay as close to these characters as I could and let the emotions sneak up on you.   In fact, films from the 50s may not be edited as quickly in our own “ADD-era” now.   The flow of this film is really paced to the emotions of the characters and their own journeys.  I think for the emotional payoff to (work), we really needed to be able to sit with these folks and to see what they are going through.

PFF: Marcus is Jewish, and I was bracing for a difficult anti-Semitic struggle that thankfully never came.  Is this consistent with the novel?

JS:  Yes, we took from the book…what we took from the book.  I would say that there was this kind of pervasive structural and gently-put anti-Semitism.  This is still an era when there were quotas for Jewish students in many major universities, and there were real estate covenants and neighborhoods that would not allow Jews to buy property or homes or join clubs.  This was all part of that era, and Dean Caudwell (Letts) is replicating some of those attitudes but in a very seemingly non-personal way.  The dean is not a raging anti-Semite, but the anti-Semitism was structural.  It was present and pervasive, but it was not always personal. 

PFF:  The film does an excellent job of capturing the first day on a college campus, such as when Marcus walks into his dorm for the first time or signs-in at the front desk.   Those can be exciting - but also anxiety-filled - times, and these scenes took me back to my first day of college.  Based on your college experience, could you relate to those first-day scenes as well? 

JS:  I hope that everybody sees something of themselves with Marcus, because he is trying.  He is trying so hard, (but) he makes that detour, when he discovers something in himself that wasn’t planned.  He’s thrown off by that, by Olivia, by the dean, by his roommates, and by everybody, and I hope as you enter that whirlwind, you really are feeling as if you identify with that character.      

PFF:  At one point, Marcus pursues Olivia by standing outside her window for hours or watching her dad drop her off at the dorm, however, she was still receptive to his advances.   Do you think Olivia’s acceptance of his behavior was due to the time period or because of her general nature? 

JS:  On the set, I always used to say to Sarah Gadon, “Remember, Olivia is smarter than Marcus.”  

She gets that Marcus is lost.  He just doesn’t have anywhere else to go at that point, emotionally, mentally and physically, and she gets it.  She’s a lost soul herself. 

PFF: “Indignation” is your (feature film) directorial debut.  Now that the movie is complete, what are you most proud of and what were a couple key learnings from your experience?

JS:  It’s funny, because the learning experiences are the things that I most proud of.   It is not for me to pass judgment on what worked or did not.  I know enough to separate myself from that level of engagement.  To me, it was different from writing or producing (by) working with actors. 

I’ve never done that before, and it’s just a tremendous privilege to spend days and days with people where you are really centered on emotion and gesture and voice and tone.  It’s very specific work, and you are not telling somebody what to do, because that doesn’t work as a director.  Rather, create an environment that the actors need to do their best work and (have them) surprise you.  I was course-correcting a lot - as one should - but I was not trying to reign in or pre-negotiate the outcome of each scene.  I wanted (the actors) to be as surprised as they could be, so I – and the viewer – can be surprised too.

PFF:  I came away from this film with a message that a connection of the heart is special, vitally important, precious, and fragile.  Are there ways that we can recognize these connections in the moment and maybe hold on to them a little tighter?

JS:  I hope the movie is a reminder of that.  You do need to try your best in recognizing it when it’s happening.

Suicide Squad - Movie Review by Kaely Monahan

The Noble Villain: The Anti-Heroes Rise in Suicide Squad

By Kaely Monahan

Allegedly, Suicide Squad did some reshoots after the lackluster audience response to Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Whether or not those reshoots bettered the film is up for debate, but the final edit is satisfactory. It certainly flows much better than Batman V Superman. And it also has some surprising depth for a “shoot ‘em up” movie.

Directed by David Ayer and filled to the brim with star-studded talent, Suicide Squad takes the most iconic villains of the DC world and throws them into a loose gang manipulated by the U.S. government..

Will Smith plays the dry, anti-hero Deadshot. Margot Robbie is the demented yet sensual Harley Quinn; Jared Leto plays the Joker with a manic edge. His version of the character doesn’t conflict with Heath Ledger’s rendition; rather Leto’s Joker feels more insane whereas Ledger’s was darker and more depressing.

Viola Davis is a powerhouse presence as Amanda Waller who heads the squad. Her performance cannot be praised enough. While all the acting was strong in this film, Davis brought an edge and gravitas that is downright chilling. Her character is more frightening than anyone of the labeled “bad guys.”

Which brings us to one of the major themes in the film—what makes a villain? Ostensibly, the “villains” are the heroes Suicide Squad. Whether they want to be or not. We are meant to sympathize with them, embrace them, love them. A lot of time is spent humanizing Smith’s character, who is a father. It is his daughter who motivates him—and who gets him captured. She’s determined to see the good in him—even though he’s a hitman for hire. The lines between good and evil are thoroughly blurred with him.

Harley Quinn is an example of someone descending into mental illness. Once a psychiatrist she falls in love with the Joker and is willing to do anything for him—even though it’s clear he abuses her psychologically. There’s a whole film waiting right there to be explored and is only briefly touched upon in this film. But again, here is someone we can feel sympathy towards. She is manipulated and essentially tortured by the Joker. He makes her crazy and ultimately she is “more dangerous” than him.

The other members of the squad are also given brief backgrounds, and again each story is designed to manipulate your emotions. These are not good people. They murder and brutalize and commit heinous crimes. But you still feel for them.

Back to Davis’ character. She is cold, ruthless, and unstoppable. Her control over the meta-human villains is absolute, and she flaunts that power. Her cold brutality is even more frightening than the insanity of Harley. As Deadshot points out, there is a sort of code among thieves. Amanda Waller doesn’t subscribe to it. Sort of like Big Brother—or perhaps Big Sister—on steroids, Waller represents all the fears America has of its own government: surveillance, control, and creating a feeling of helplessness. Your life is not your own.

However, big government (and by extension, modern warfare, science, and technology) rub up against instinctual human fears: magic and the unknown.

The ultimate villain is the Enchantress—an ancient witch—played by Cara Delevigne. She represents nature and man’s inability to control it. Once worshiped by ancient humans, she is released on the world—by Mankind, or more accurately a female archeologist, bumbling about “where she shouldn’t be.” Read into that what you will.

Waller is determined to harness The Enchantress’ power, but she loses that control. (As in Jurassic Park, she didn’t respect the power of nature, and nature lashes back as an all-consuming, unstoppable force.)

The Enchantress laments the loss of human worship and decides to take over the world by creating a magical machine. The motivation behind this being humans now worship machines.

On the surface Suicide Squad is a romp in the dirt with some diverse characters thrown together in a misadventure. But dig a little deeper and there are interesting questions to explore.

The film seems to hesitate to cast its anti-heroes as true villains—even though in truth they are rather despicable. It really makes you question what a villain is—and perhaps what is our society’s definition of a bad guy. (Is it good to sympathize with killer sociopaths?) Still humor and character building go a long way of humanizing even the worse of society, and in the end Suicide Squad does just that. And while it is a bit clumsy in its storytelling and seems to veer all over the place in tone, it is still more entertaining than the lamentable Batman V Superman.

• Kaely Monahan is a journalist, graduate of City University London and the creator of Popcorn Fan Film Reviews. Follow her @PopcornFans and @KaelyMonahan.

Suicide Squad - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Suicide Squad  

Director: David Ayers

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

Warner Bros. Pictures

123 Minutes

It’s fun to cheer for the bad guy. Don’t get me wrong watching Spider-Man swing into action to fight Doc Ock or reading about The Green Lantern meeting archenemy Sinestro always makes it fun to have a hero to cheer behind. But I couldn’t help but wonder what the comic book universe would look like if Doctor Doom or Kingpin got the best of the hero. In comic books it’s inevitable that these super villains would eventually have their day to shine in some incarnation of a long running print story but in film the superhero/comic book movie villain rarely finds the finish line first.

DC Comics looks to amend this by bringing their anti-hero covert-ops “Suicide Squad” into the mix. Directed by David Ayers, who helmed the 2014 war tank film “Fury” and the gritty 2012 cop drama “End of Watch”, “Suicide Squad” is unlike the typical comic book movie fair audiences are becoming wholly accustomed with throughout the year. No, it’s not a dark and solemn affair like DC’s last outing “Batman v. Superman” or is it a composition of responsibility and morals like “Captain America: Civil War”. This is a film that is trying very hard to have fun and be playful, it’s a film that is trying to make the viewer forget about the constraints levied upon heroes in these types of films.

Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) is a conniving, unmerciful leader of a secret government agency tasked with protecting the world from new, powerful threats that have come in the wake of the emergence of people like Superman and Batman. This super villain task force, composed of the worst of the worst incarcerated criminals, is sent into action when the odds are the most insurmountable. Lead by a super soldier named Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) the group is composed of a deadly marksman named Deadshot (Will Smith), the Joker’s girlfriend Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), a fire wielding gangster named Diablo (Jay Hernandez), an wise-cracking Australian named Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), a sewer dwelling monster known as Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), a samurai sword swinging woman named Katana (Karen Fukuhara), and an ancient witch known as Enchantress (Cara Delevingne). How will these villains fill the shoes of the heroes?

Mr. Ayer doesn’t waste much time making his impact known, the style of “Suicide Squad” is frantic from the opening moments and the design has an energetic neon grittiness. The villainous group is quickly introduced via a montage of capers gone wrong that result in their capture. Mr. Ayers does not pull any punches during these moments, providing a few surprises for the DC fan.

While all of this spectacle and flair provides the film with an early, much needed breath of fresh air it unfortunately doesn’t last very long. Aside from some ingenious character introductions and the promise of a few good action sequences to come, the story lacks in any kind of structure or substance to make it interesting from scene to scene. Just as everything starts to get comfortable the pace changes, or simply restarts. Yes, everything remains quick and somewhat exciting but the fluidity is missing between the story and characters. For instance, Deadshot and Harley Quinn are introduced and then needlessly introduced again later in the film and at another point an action packed scene is basically redone with different characters, it all serves no other purpose than lazily leading the narrative from plot point to plot point. It’s hard to even distinguish a memorable action sequence, most of the memorable scenes happen in humorous or quiet moments between the characters.

The cast is a large group of recognizable faces. Some are really good, some are present, and some are completely overlooked. Will Smith is given a majority of the screen time, unfortunately he never completely sheds the heroic persona his characters are known for and this is no fault to Mr. Smith but rather the script that consistently portrays Deadshot, an assassin, with a significant amount of redeeming qualities. Margot Robbie is next in line for screen time and she provides a bubbly, demented character. Mrs. Robbie completely owns many of the scenes that she is in. Much talk was made of Jared Leto’s portrayal of the Joker, interesting would be a great description of the performance. Mr. Leto works his way into something unique with the character. Viola Davis is perfectly cast as the operator of this task force, stoically poised and on the verge of a killing spree she is the perfect complement to these characters.

It’s unfortunate that Mr. Ayers doesn’t allow the bad guys to simply be bad. There is a constant reminder that the viewer should see these characters differently, take for instance the hero music themes that play in the background during group shots. Why can’t bad guys just be bad guys?

“Suicide Squad” struggles to find a balance for its villains. While it has some very fun moments and some good performances, there is unfortunately few times where it succeeds in accomplishing the lofty mission of letting villains lead the charge. It can be fun to cheer for the bad guy, if you can find one.

Monte’s Rating

2.75 out of 5.00

Nerve - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

‘Nerve’ taps into our social media fears  

Directed by: Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman

Written by: Jessica Sharzer

Starring: Emma Roberts, Dave Franco, Emily Meade, Miles Heizer, and Juliette Lewis

“Nerve” – “Anything is possible, if you’ve got enough nerve.” – J.K. Rowling

Vee (Emma Roberts), a high school senior, does not believe that anything is possible, because she plays it safe.  Now, she studies hard and takes lots of terrific photos as a photographer on the yearbook staff but is too shy to speak to her crush, J.P. (Brian Marc), a star on the football team.  Vee also applied to a prestigious California art school, and they accepted her into their program, but since her mother wants her to live at home in Staten Island, she has little intention to move across the country. Ironically, her best friend, Sydney (Emily Meade), shows no fear and will try anything, but the more brazen that she is, the less adventurous Vee becomes.   Sydney seems to suck up all of Vee’s oxygen, and they – unfortunately – are both comfortable with this arrangement.

On the other hand, directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman suddenly introduce Vee to a dangerous online game called Nerve, and she immediately taps into her unused reservoir of courage in a sometimes thrilling, sometimes thought-provoking teenage drama.

As the movie explains it, Nerve is “a game of truth or dare but minus the truth.”

This online community is connected by cell phones, and the participants choose to be players or watchers.  The players are the “doers”, and they attempt various dares that the game proposes.  The watchers, in turn, follow them, like on Twitter or other forms of social media.  In a twisted way, this movie-version of social media is perilously social.

In the beginning, we realize that this intriguing concoction has the chance to simmer, but most likely we figure that Nerve will boil over and create a dangerous mess for anyone logging in as a player.   As the movie progresses, Joost and Schulman set up enjoyable madness for both the audience and watchers to experience, while Vee ventures on her intense life-experience journey in just one evening.

Vee’s interest in the game soars when she meets Ian (Dave Franco).  Since Vee has not dated, she gladly follows this “knight in shining armor” (dressed in a leather motorcycle jacket and jeans) from dare to dare among the nighttime lights of The Big Apple.  Roberts is very likeable here, and so is Franco, primarily because Ian is the catalyst to Vee spreading her wings.  Even though Ian possesses a sense of danger - and most likely hiding something very dark – Vee experiences joy and embraces an adrenaline potion mixed with equal parts of physical risks and girlish excitement.  We approve of her feeling alive but also fret with parental, big brother or big sister anxiety, as the hazards of the game grow.

Since Vee and her friends attend high school, the film splashes in a purposely adolescent pool, and the traditional teen worry of popularity stands on the high dive for everyone to see.  In this case, popularity transcends high school and graduates into this obsessing social app.  “Nerve” gets visually creative with this concept, as neon-colored, animated flags pop up high above the urban mass of buildings in New York City with screen login names.  Hundreds of virtual flags in the sky deliver some uneasiness, as we see the numbers of players and watchers multiply, while Vee, Sydney and many, many others take on dares such as mooning a crowd, kissing a stranger or real dangerous stunts like placing a ladder in between two buildings – 10 stories up – and walking across.

The tension methodically and effectively climbs as the movie zips forward, and the famous saying, “It is all fun and games, until someone gets hurt” repeated over and over in my head.

Another real fear popped into my head, when the movie explores the handing over of our personal information to an online source.  During a very uneasy sequence – which only lasted a few seconds – the film demonstrates how the Nerve game pulls our info from many online places that we hold dear.  With all of the nail-biting, treacherous challenges which Vee and Ian attempt, these few seconds of data mining by the Nerve game raise the hair on the back of our necks and deliver the scariest moment in the film.

Generally speaking, “Nerve” is an effective thriller but trips up in the third act via a clunky ending that tries too hard to wrap up its sweeping ideas of social acceptance and the swiftness of viral, online phenomenons.  At one point, Vee’s mom (Juliette Lewis) frets about her little girl and ends up conversing with a group of computer hackers.  What?

Well, the movie still leaves a pretty memorable mark.

Will you enjoy “Nerve”?

As J.K. Rowling stated, “Anything is possible.”

I would reply, “There’s a decent chance.”  (2.5/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008 and graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Don't Think Twice - Cast Interview by Kaely Monahan

Failure is the key to success Q&A with Don’t Think Twice cast

By Kaely Monahan

Comedy doesn’t just encourage failure. It requires it. That’s what comedian and actor Mike Birbiglia says. His newest film Don’t Think Twice (coming in July) deals specifically with the dynamic between comedy and failure.

The film stars Birbiglia, Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs, Chris Gethard, Kate Micucci and Tami Sagher who all are a part of a New York improv group the Commune. Tight-knit, hilarious, sometimes scathing, each of the characters is striving towards an ultimate goal of success.

Filmed with a sort of documentary-fly-on-the-wall feeling, Birbiglia strives to recreate the magic of live long-form improv on the screen. The film pulls from the experiences of what it’s like to try and break out as a comedian and be successful or not.

Birbiglia and fellow comedian-actor Chris Gethard recently shared their experience in a group interview of making the film and life as a comedian at Changing Hands Bookstore in Phoenix.

The long-form improv art has only been around for about 60 years. Awareness of the craft is-generally—not that broad. Improv is often associated with shows like Whose Line is It Anyway? Or improv games like freeze tag. However, it has greater depth than that.

Birbiglia: In a lot of ways I like to think of it as these are improvised plays happening in the moment. There’s something really special about it. As Sam says in the movie improv is an art form unto itself.

Birbiglia not only acted in the film but he wrote and directed it as well. However, as a comedian, he approached script writing in a different way than most screenwriters.

Birbiglia: My writing process is very feedback based. So when I do stand up, I did my “Thank God For Jokes” show the one I did just off Broadway, I did it in a hundred cities—and Mesa Arts Center was on that tour—I listen to the audience. I try to understand what’s connecting what’s not connecting. And then rewrite, rewrite, rewrite…

I had about 10 readings at my house. I had Chris and Tami Sagher, who is in the movie, and other writers…I invited to read the script with me…and give critical thoughts… Over the course of that process, we arrived at a script that we were really proud of. And then once we got on set you hire five brilliant actors like this, I always say you know whatever comes out and feels most real is what I want on screen. And so don’t feel compelled to be married to these words verbatim—though they’re pretty good. If you need something to fall back on, they’ll work.

In fact, Birbiglia encouraged improv on set. He said that they would do a take verbatim and then go back and paly with it.

Birbiglia: Ultimately I wanted these guys to be comfortable saying kind of whatever came out. There’s this great improvised moment that Chris has where we’re improvising that eulogy scene where we’re like Jack was a great man. And we all have these things to say about it and then I go, ‘His body’s not in there!’ And then Chris improvised ‘It’s his headshot!’ And when he improvised that I broke down laughing.

Gethard: Obviously with the content of this movie and Mike’s background as a comedian I think he was better than most people I’ve worked with in a director’s setting, as far as going ‘Great we got the thing that’s on the page who wants to push it a little bit further? Anybody got anything else? And just like to push it through to a place we’re not seeing. And I think that obviously is a very smart call.

One of the dangers of trying to make a movie about live comedy is that you’re trying to emulate that in a way that will just totally ring false—so I think the idea that Mike consistently pushed the cast and crew to just stay one, two more takes, and just find something else; find some variation on this, some extension of this. I think that kept that feeling of live comedy in a way that was absolutely necessary for people to not like call foul on this movie for trying to represent a live experience.

When it comes to being a comedian, both actors agreed that the most difficult aspect is being performance mode at all times.

Gethard: There’s a weird loneliness that comes with being a comedian. Especially stand up. I think, even with improvisers, there’s like these certain moments of truth where you feel really, really connected to audiences and that’s when you’re on stage, and I think there’s something definitely inside the personality of a person who wants to be a comedian that’s looking to connect at all times and that’s where the adrenaline rushes in their lives comes in.

But I think outside of performing you’re someone who’s analyzing life and thinking about it and kind of observing so much that in my opinion in can make you feel sort of like on the outside looking in of like normal standard—I get very jealous of my friends who have like traditional families and nine to five jobs.

Birbiglia: You’re always on duty because you’re in a constant state of observation. So that’s one of the challenges of it and I think one of other challenges is that whether we like it or not it’s a profession that requires failure…. You need to know what doesn’t work to know what works…And failure is hard. There’s no way around… Bombing on stage never feels great. You feel judged. You feel alone. But then when it works it’s transcendent.

Constant throughout the film is the struggle between chasing “the dream” and making a living. For some of the characters they achieve the highest success, while others never make it.

Birbiglia: One of the things I wrote on my wall as an inspirational line with the film is, ‘What happens when life gets in the way of dreams?’ That’s a question that I don’t know the answer to. But the movie tries to take a stab at what it feels like.

Gethard: I know that in my experience I was working a lot of freelance gigs and cobbling together rent while I was also trying to be a comedian and I actually had a shrink. And the shrink stepped in and was like, ‘You gotta go for it ‘cause you’re driving yourself nuts. You have to figure out if you’re going to go all in on this or if eventually you’re going to walk away from this. You need to give yourself no other option and only make money off of things that you actually want to be doing.’ –And I was like I’ll starve, (she said) well then you’ll starve and then you can move on. You can be at peace with that. And it was great advice although it was scary. I went for about a year under that advice and then I hit the first point in my adult life where if I had to pay my rent that day I wouldn’t have been able to.

Don’t Think Twice comes out August 5.

• Kaely Monahan is an entertainment reporter and creator of the film review podcast Popcorn Fan Film Reviews.