WWI Thriller 'Game of Aces' Leaves Much to be Desired
Director Damien Lay tackles the ambitious genre of "WWI historical thriller" in his first narrative feature film, "Game of Aces." Set in the Arabian desert with a predetermined storyline of historical context, unfortunately, the film is as vast as the characters in it, leaving much to be desired in terms of overall experience.
When we meet Captain Jackson Cove (Chris Klien), an American alcoholic pilot who has been grounded due to crashing too many planes, he is on a mission to save the life of the German Captain Josef von Zimmerman (Werner Daehn) who has also crashed a plane in the middle of the desert. Cove becomes upset after learning that he is not on this rescue mission alone; Joining him is a young English nurse and German translator Eleanor Morgan (Victoria Summer), whose perfectly glossed red lips and side-swept bangs make her look more like a movie starlet from the roaring 1920s than a down and dirty sidekick- which I don't think was done intentionally. After the duo out-run a plane, dodge gunfire, and get over their initial quips with each other, they come to the aid of Zimmerman, which exposes a tangled web of corruption, lies, and the classic "who dunnit" question.
There are a few issues I had with this film and not just the low-quality sound effects that, for some reason, muted every other gunshot sound. "Game of Aces" wants to be a comedy, but just doesn't nail it. Whether that's due to the choppy edit, or the overall non-fluidity of the project, what we have here is a hum-drum film that is void of cohesive focus. Any wartime film is a high-risk movie to make due to the demanding accuracy and nature of the genre, and Lay seems to acknowledge this by having only three main characters. While a smart choice on the directorial front, as an audience member, having a limited number of characters stranded in the blazing desert, that can't decide whether or not to make a joke or tell a thrilling story, makes it a tough, repetitive watch.
Chris Klein delivers "punny" one-liners in his signature gravelly voice many times throughout the film. His performance is actually preferred over Daehn's delusional screaming, cartoonish guzzling of water, and overall act of losing his mind.
Despite the criticism, Damien Lay has managed to assemble a cast of genuinely engaging actors and create a film that feels distant from it's limited $500,000 budget. However, it seems like the challenges it faced were too overpowering for "Game of Aces" to make it out of the Arabian desert alive.
"Game of Aces" is rated R for some violence and language. In select theaters Friday, September 2nd.
'The Light Between Oceans' is a Darkly Poetic and Affecting Love Story
Director Derek Cianfrance certainly has a knack for portraying "love lost and found." His 2010 indie classic, "Blue Valentine," is a moody and contemporary observation of one couple's relationship evolving throughout the years while his 2013 indie hit, "The Place Beyond the Pines," dealt with familial struggles and the far-reaching repercussions of poor choices. Cianfrance continues to do what he does best, bringing his past experience of showcasing these same themes and questions to his first studio film, based on the acclaimed novel by M.L. Stedman, "The Light Between Oceans." While this film is another romantic drama, written for the screen by Cianfrance, it is a small departure in terms of it being a period film, but that makes it no less relatable to modern audiences.
After four years fighting abroad in World War I, all Tom Sherbourne (Michael Fassbender) craves is isolation and a relatively risk-free routine. When he is offered the position of the lighthouse keeper in a small coastal town in Western Australia, he graciously accepts. After arriving, he meets and quickly falls in love with Isabel (Alicia Vikander) and the two soon marry. Isabel follows Tom to the lighthouse, which stands in seclusion from the rest of the town. They are blissfully in love with each other and with the silence, domesticating their tiny space on the island they call home and ready to start a family of their own.
Their happiness comes to a sudden halt after two emotionally and physically painful miscarriages. Isabel becomes a shell of her former self, while Tom feels helpless in his efforts to console her. That is until a rowboat washes ashore with a newborn baby girl and her deceased father onboard. Isabel sees this as a sign from God and begs Tom to let her keep the baby instead of reporting the incident per his official protocol. Torn between what he knows is right and his wife's happiness, Tom finally gives in to Isabel's pleas. Life goes on for the couple and their newly acquired baby without consequence until Tom's guilt catches up with him when he sees Hannah Roennfeldt (Rachel Weisz) around town. As soon as he realizes that she is the baby girl's birth mother, he knows the awful decision he will have to make. The moral dilemma of whether or not to expose the truth would not only devastate Isabel but ruin the relationship with the little girl they've come to love and call their own.
It is this impossible choice and the events that follow which makes "The Light Between Oceans" so painstakingly brutal. While author M.L. Stedman takes credit for the story's tragic circumstances, it is the colorful world created by Cianfrance that really drives the story home. Breathtaking visuals cover the screen from start to finish, with the camerawork making the characters seem so small compared to their epic surroundings. These sweeping images of the environment are juxtaposed with extreme closeups as if we are looking at the most intimate details of their relationship through a magnifying glass. In many scenes, the beats between Tom and Isabel's dialogue last longer than a typical film's edit, giving the characters not only a chance to act but react, which is how it achieves its heightened emotional intensity.
Coming off of a strong 2015, Alicia Vikander proves why she deserves to stay on the top this year. Her doe-eyed innocence and warm presence make her a protagonist worth rooting for, despite her flaws. We understand that her heart is in the right place and feel her pain as she finds herself in unspeakable situations. Michael Fassbender taps into his sensitive side as Tom, putting on a brave face for his family despite battling a moral war internally. Rachel Weisz gives a layered performance as Hannah as she experiences a rollercoaster of emotional grief and joy throughout the film. Watching these three powerful lead actors (Vikander and Weisz are Academy-Award winners, Fassbender has been nominated twice), is like truly watching magic on screen.
It would be lazy to call "The Light Between Oceans" this year's "The Notebook," however, there is no denying the strong emotional parallels (plus the fact that Fassbender and Vikander are now dating after meeting on the set a lá Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams). "The Light Between Oceans" isn't easy to get through with dry eyes, but this timeless love story is as mesmerizing and beautiful as it is gut-wrenching and powerful, most definitely a top contender in this year's best of lists.
“The Light Between Oceans” is rated PG-13 for thematic material and some sexual content. 132 minutes. In theaters everywhere on September 2nd.
Natalie Portman is a Triple Threat in 'A Tale of Love and Darkness'
Natalie Portman has always been considered more ambitious than most of her Hollywood peers. Opting to attend Harvard to study psychology in 1999, while placing her career on hold, she is a perfect example for actors everywhere that one shouldn't rely on beauty and talent alone to survive in show business, brains are also important. "A Tale of Love and Darkness" further proves her abilities as a triple threat, in a film that Portman not only stars in– but wrote and directed– based on Israeli author Amos Oz's bestselling memoir. Oh, and did I mention the film is in Hebrew with English subtitles?
"A Tale of Love and Darkness" is told from the perspective of Amos as an elderly man, reminiscing about his childhood in the budding State of Israel in the 1940s and '50s. Amos (Amir Tessler) is a 10-year-old Jewish boy, not yet mature enough to comprehend the politics of the Middle East. He meets a young Arab girl at a party and they only speak a few words, but this is enough for him to contextualize the conflict around him. His father, Arieh (Gilad Kahana), is an author and is very aware of the political discourse in the country and tries to teach his son life lessons every day. His mother, Fania (Portman), puts on a brave face as the matriarch of the household amongst the turmoil, but she battles internal forces that eventually become too overwhelming. Sadly, the disappointment in the expectation of Jerusalem's independence vs reality of the aftermath strains the family dynamic, to the point that Amos is forced to say a much too early goodbye to his mom whose closeness was that of a best friend.
In tackling the vast historical context of Middle East politics, "A Tale of Love and Darkness" is slower and much denser than any of Portman's other works. Its appeal is that it is non-commercial, but that doesn't mean it lacks cinematic inspiration. Some of the most vivid scenes come from the nightly bedtime stories Fania tells Amos. Just as the character, Sara in "A Little Princess" created fantasy worlds for her friends while in boarding school, the stories Fania tells are acted out in a similar fashion.
This film is not just Natalie Portman's directorial debut, it has also been her passion project and she worked on it for over 10 years. It is an interesting choice for a filmmaker's debut, as it definitely goes against the grain of formulaic Hollywood films. However, after watching, it seems like no one else could have pulled off this striking balance between romance and melancholy as well as Portman.
"A Tale of Love and Darkness" is rated PG-13 for thematic content and some disturbing violent images. 95 minutes. Now playing at the Landmark Theater.
'Disorder' Successfully Fuses High-Stakes Thrills With Emotional Tension
This review originally ran on 11/10/15 during the AFI Film Festival
Among the films in the “New Auteurs” category is the French film "Disorder," a full sensory experience that successfully fuses a high-tension thriller with an engaging dramatic story that creates lasting uneasiness long past the hour and a half runtime.
Written and directed by Alice Winocour, "Disorder" tells the story of Vincent (Matthias Schoenaerts, "Rust and Bone"), an ex-soldier suffering from PTSD, who has been assigned to provide personal security to a high-profile and possibly-shady businessman’s wife, Jessie (Diane Kruger, "Inglorious Basterds") and her young son, Ali. Struggling to keep his traumatic past behind him, and despite piercing bouts of panic attacks, Vincent’s paranoia serves as foresight when masked men forcibly put his and the lives he’s promised to protect in danger.
Schoenaerts and Kruger create a quiet sense of unrest, adding personal and emotional tension between the two against the backdrop of the suspense of the film. With the sharp sound design from electronic music-maker Gesaffelstein, "Disorder" falls into the same vein as other traditional Hitchcockian films: progressively stylized and a great character study into the mental landscape of a man unhinged.
"Disorder" is not rated. 98 minutes. Opening at the Laemmle Royal Theater in Santa Monica this Friday.
'On Meditation' is 60 Minutes of Enlightened Watching
As a disciple of meditation would agree, "The purpose of our life is to help others through it because, at the end of the day, we are all connected". One doesn't have to be a practicing Buddist to feel a sense of enlightenment from the new documentary "On Meditation", a brisk 65-minute film from director Rebecca Dreyfus that explores how the practice of daily meditation affects the lives of people in very different ways. The film opens at Laemmle’s Ahrya Fine Arts in Los Angeles today.
"On Meditation" is comprised of a series of mini-documentaries that profile various people, some famous and some not. Actor Giancarlo Esposito explains that setting aside time to meditate has not only helped him heal from the emotional scars of his poverty-stricken childhood, but also aids in his performance as an actor. In playing his most memorable role as Gustavo 'Gus' Fring in AMC's "Breaking Bad," he channeled his practice to make his character more of an observer, despite being evil, there is a quiet peace to his performance and personality as Gus that no one can deny.
Gabrielle Bernstein, a motivational speaker, talks of her early days struggling with horrible anxiety as a drug and alcohol addict. It wasn't until she hit rock bottom that she turned to meditation in the form of chanting mantras, a repetition of words and phrases that help center and calm the mind. Today she preaches the benefits that this practice has had on her life. Similarly, mogul Russell Simmons practices mindfulness to quiet his "noisy mind" a total of 2.5 hours a day. Despite having his hands in many projects, including film and tv, a record label, internet businesses, a financial services company, and five charities, he credits his priority of meditation as giving him the strength to stay strong.
Perhaps the most recognizable face in the documentary, especially if you are aware of this specific spiritual practice like I am, is David Lynch's talk of Transcendental Meditation. Before finding inner peace, Lynch thought of happiness as a dance on the surface– fleeting and empty. After finding TM, he has had a more optimistic view of the world and a feeling of unification in the notion that all living beings are in this together. Being David Lynch, most of what he has to say in the film is quoteworthy, and I personally found this specific phrase to be memorable: "An artist doesn't have to suffer to show suffering, just understand it."
"In Meditation" does not teach one how to meditate, for everyone will practice in different ways, rather it shows just how meaningful it is in people's lives. Many in the film believe that, if Americans were to set aside just five minutes a day to focus on their breath and their inner being, the world would be a better place. To end things on a positive note, as the film does, I leave you with another phrase that resonated with me: "We are all enlightened– maybe the lights just haven't been turned on yet."
"On Meditation" is not rated. 65 minutes. Now playing at Laemmle’s Ahrya Fine Arts in Los Angeles.
Sarah Hagan Shines in 'Sun Choke'
Now playing for a limited run at Arena Cinema, "Sun Choke" is nothing like I expected, and I mean that in a good way. Director Ben Cresciman taps into the psyche of a mentally unstable woman whose obsession over another girl turns deadly in the City of Angels. Taking a commanding lead as the naive yet delusional title character Janie, is Sarah Hagan– those who know her best as Millie from 'Freaks and Geeks' are definitely in for a wild rediscovery.
Janie (Hagan) sits expressionless at a table across from her stepmother/ psychological caretaker Irma (Barbara Crampton). Her long dark hair hangs from her frail frame, in complete contrast to Irma's rigid blonde bob and the pristine white decor of the large house they live in. Ever since her psychotic break that put her under the care of Irma, Janie has been a prisoner in her own home, forced to practice a strictly holistic lifestyle including a diet of green drinks, outdoor yoga, and coloring sessions, among other bizarre health regimens. Without disclosing the cause of her previous mental episode, we see that Janie is still clearly unwell.
An obsession with a local girl, Savannah (Sara Malakul Lane) becomes the object of Janie's affection. In this case, it is not a passion of love, rather a passion of control. The closer she gets to Savannah, literally by stalking and breaking into her house, the closer she gets to mentally unraveling once again.
Hagan's portrayal of Janie is a perfect character study of scene control; a lot of her battles are fought internally (mentally) but expressed very methodically. She moves in calculated ways that show off her true talent as an actor who not only plays the character but becomes
For all of its dreamy visuals and seemingly innocent art house persona, "Sun Choke" is a brutally psychological head trip that pushes viewers to the brink of their comfort zone. We not only witness Janie be subjected to various health rituals at the hands of her resentful stepmother, we are along for the ride as well. Most notably, the tuning fork used as aversion therapy and disguised as a torture device, whose sound design is meant to reach a decibel just short of unbearable, and definitely does its job. Just when we can't take it anymore, we cut to the next scene. It goes without saying that this wouldn't be a horror film without violence and nudity, which there is quite a lot of, yet ultimately, all things add up to the creation of one evocative, trippy film that is sure to run chills down your spine. You've been warned.
"Sun Choke" is not rated. 83 minutes. Now playing at Arena Cinema.
'Lace Crater' Review: A Dark, Twisted, and Creatively Campy Fantasy
A weekend getaway to heal a lovesick heart ends up creating problems that are out of this world in the creatively campy drama, "Lace Crater." Taking inspiration from such films as "The Invitation," "Donnie Darko," and most notably "It Follows,” writer/director Harrison Atkins conjures up an unlikely love story in a world that is equal parts humorous and horrifying…sweet and sinister.
After a bad break-up, Ruth (Lindsay Burdge) and a group of her friends escape to the Hamptons for a much-needed getaway weekend. The beach house they are staying in is owned by Andrew (Andrew Ryder), one of the guys in the group and also the subject of Ruth’s innocent crush. Upon deciding on the sleeping arrangements, Andrew warns that one of the rooms, "the "Coach House," is haunted, but unfazed, Ruth volunteers to take the room anyway with little regard to Andrew's claims.
After a night of drinking, Ruth returns to her room, alone. An uneasiness sweeps over her body as a door slowly opens in front of her. Suddenly, a ghostly figure wrapped in a burlap sack appears in the doorway, standing nonchalantly. What seems like a silly low-budget monster-like character turns forgivingly sweet because of his sincerity. He calls himself Michael (Peter Vack) and, as it turns out, he is not so scary after all. He lays on the bed next to Ruth as if he is in a therapy session, sharing his views about life on earth being an endless cycle, referring to life as "the thing" he is "part of," but does not "exist inside of."
Ruth and Michael feel the connection between them and begin to get intimate. The music intensifies to the sound of a space jungle/lasers as they consummate their only hours-long relationship. However, the blissful moment is just that, a moment, sparking the beginning of Ruth's downward spiral. This includes waking up covered in goop every morning, vomiting black liquid, and overall paranoia. She can't escape the dark cloud she finds herself under, and no matter what anyone does to try to help, Ruth is ultimately left to cope on her own.
If you are familiar with Lindsay Burdge's past work ("The Invitation," "The Midnight Swim"), you'll have a pretty good idea as to what to expect in "Lace Crater" which is pretty much this: what starts out as inviting and warm one moment, turns unexpectedly terrifying the next. There is a sense of ease portrayed in the interactions between characters, thanks to this mumblecore-style direction from Atkins, which makes them more relatable and sympathetic.
"Lace Crater," produced in part by veteran independent film director Joe Swanberg, should find its niche nicely in the art house/horror community. Ultimately, if you are able to accept the absurdity of it all and not demand answers to the question, Why? - you'll get the maximum enjoyment out of this gem.
"Lace Crater" is not rated. 83 minutes. Now playing at Arena Cinema and available exclusively on FlixFling with a national rollout to follow.
Steven Caple Jr. Talks NBA Dreams and Working With Nas in 'The Land' [LISTEN]
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Up and coming director Steven Caple Jr. is one to watch. With his debut feature film, "The Land" ready to open in theaters and VOD tomorrow, he has already been selected into the Sundance Labs to work on his second feature script. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Steven's film is not only a love letter to his hometown but also a cinematic extension of his own childhood. During our exclusive interview, Steven talks to me about his initial hopes of making it into the NBA, the one character he was overly critical of during the casting process, and the first person he told when Nas came aboard as an executive producer. We begin:
How has this whole experience been for you so far?
It's been surreal. Thinking back about when I developed the script and wrote out some drafts, it basically just being a concept, to now– getting ready to release the film. It's crazy, it's been a surreal experience. As cliche as it sounds, it's been a dream.
What was life like growing up in Cleveland?
Very similar to the movie. All of the relationships in the film are relationships I had growing up. Every location you saw in the film are places we either hung out at, like the factories and abandoned houses. Those were our playgrounds. I played a lot of basketball growing up there. My mom raised my sister and myself, which is like the Evelyn relationship in the film, being a nurse's assistant and still is today actually. I was always active as a kid, looking for adventure. It was a blast.
Do you skate?
I tried multiple times, but it just doesn't click with me, haha. I just appreciate it, every time I see kids doing moves and riding the board part of me is envious, but at the same time, I respect the craft because they have to put so much work and time into doing what they do.
"At one point when I was a kid I wanted to be a cop. A part of me today still does, weirdly."
Did you always want to be a filmmaker?
I always had it in me, I can say that, but I didn't know that was really [possible]. I thought I was going to play in the NBA at one point, that didn't work out.
Laughter
At one point when I was a kid I wanted to be a cop. A part of me today still does, weirdly. But around 10 or 11, I started shooting and making films and later in my teen years I took it seriously and tried to pursue it as a career.
Do you remember the first project you ever worked on at the start of your career?
Yeah, haha, it was so bad. It was a short film called "Closed" that I actually acted in. Basically, a kid goes to rob a store and when he robs the store, it ends up getting locked down and he gets stuck inside with the owner's kid. It's this weird drama inside of a store.
Oh yeah, I like that.
You like that? Oh man it was so short and so bad, mostly because I was acting in it.
"I went to USC and actually developed the script as a thesis project."
Are there any characters that you personally related to?
Boobie [played by , he's actually based off of me, Boobie is my nickname as well. He's the conscious kid in the group and [very thoughtful]. That's my steeze, which has got me to where I am right now.
Cool! When you were casting that character, were you overly critical?
Super overly critical. Which I'm glad we found Ezzy, because Ezzy can relate to that– that's what he raps about. He's also from my same city so he already had the whole thing down pat.
As a writer/director, did you have any help during the screenwriting process?
Yeah, I had some help. I went to USC and actually developed the script as a thesis project. I had teachers there who helped out tremendously. I also had students who sat in on the class and helped give notes and made suggestions. So yeah, there were a lot of people involved.
Were you involved in the Sundance Labs?
Not for "The Land," but I'm in one now called the FilmTwo Initiative, in which they help you develop and create your second film. It's going great, I'm just working out what that second film is going to be. They mostly help in career navigation, how to get to the second film and connecting with the right people.
"The best part... I don't think it's happened because we haven't had our film premiere in Cleveland yet."
Getting Nas and Erykah Badu attached to this project must have been huge. Do you remember the first person you told when Nas agreed to a collaboration/executive produce the film?
I think it was my fiancée, I asked producer first, 'wouldn't it be crazy if Nas did it? Can I ask him?' All of the producers were like, 'Of course, go now!' So I called him and told him I wanted to make this happen and he said it's as good as done. After that, I called my fiancée and we both geeked out, it was crazy. His involvement has been crucial, not only it getting the buzz about the film out but he's very collaborative and hands-on with the project. He was– legit– in post-production with me working on the film.
What was the Sundance premiere like?
That was the first time all of the actors saw the movie. Then there was the concert with Nas, Erykah Badu, Machine Gun Kelly, Ezzy... the energy was insane. We were partly nervous because this is a passion project, we didn't have much money and "The Land" was our little baby, and we all felt the same was at the festival.
What has been the best part of this entire experience?
That is a great question... the best part... I don't think it's happened because we haven't had our film premiere in Cleveland yet. I think that's going to be the best part. The response that we've been getting already is insane. To be totally honest, to play the film in my hometown, on a personal level, [is more fulfilling] than playing Sundance and all of these other festivals. I'm really looking forward to that part.