Great art is often derived from tragedy so it makes perfect sense that the economic crisis has been the subject of so many recent movies. Arbitrage, the directorial debut of Nicholas Jarecki, is the latest in a continuing line of films concerning the troubled economy and one of the best yet.
Richard Gere plays Robert Miller, a billionaire CEO who is trying to sell his company. He’s also cheating on his wife (Susan Sarandon), deceiving his co-worker/daughter (Brit Marling), and he eventually gets wrapped up in police investigation run by Tim Roth.
It all sounds so cliche, but Jarecki’s script transcends that by giving his audience real issues to chew on and characters to learn from. Arbitrage had its world premiere at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and you can read more after the jump.
Read More »
.
Please Recommend /Film on Facebook
Quentin Dupieux‘s 2010 film Rubber starts off with a monologue explaining that many things in the world, or more specifically in the world of movies, happen for no reason. His follow-up feature Wrong, which had its world premiere at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, is 90 minutes proving that statement. The film is non-stop ‘no reason.’
Jesus Organic Pizza, fecal matter memories, indoor rain and transforming palm trees are just some of the madness that occurs around the simple story of a man who loses his dog. But as Wrong gets weirder and weirder scene by scene, you’ll find yourself chuckling at the absurdity of it and eventually flat-out falling in love with the film and its mad-cap characters. Read More »
One of the early films to play at this year’s Sundance film festival was I Am Not a Hipster, the film by Destin Daniel Cretton in which Dominic Bogart plays a San Diego musician who has to deal with himself and his family during not entirely welcome visits from his father and sisters.
The film has been praised for emotional honesty, the performance by Bogart and direction by Cretton, and the many songs which are woven into the narrative, and which have helped the film earn comparisons to Once.
In early December we ran the teaser for I Am Not a Hipster, but now that the film is playing and enthusiastic reviews are coming in, it’s worth taking a look once more. While the dialogue-free footage won’t give you much indication of the characters or plot, you’ll get a taste of the film’s general aesthetic, and of the songs that run through it. And, yeah, it looks and sounds quite good. Read More »
If at first you don’t become a leading lady, write yourself a movie. It worked for Kristen Wiig and Bridesmaids and it should work for Rashida Jones, the lovable and talented co-star of Parks and Recreations, I Love You Man, The Muppets and about a billion other things we all enjoy. Jones arrived at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival with a film called Celeste & Jesse Forever, in which she both stars, with Andy Samberg, and takes co-writing credit with Will McCormack. But unlike Wiig and Bridesmaids, Celeste & Jesse isn’t a balls-out comedy. It is a mature, romantic dramedy that explores, through very funny observations and situations, the story of a separated couple who still spend all of their time together.
Directed by Lee Toland Krieger (The Vicious Kind) and co-starring Elijah Wood, Ari Graynor, Chris Messina, Emma Roberts and Eric Christian Olsen, Celeste and Jesse Forever has a bit of an identity crisis but it ends up being very pleasant, thanks in large part to Jones. Read More »
The First Time is the kind of movie I hope to see at Sundance each year — a coming of age story which is smart, funny, and able to touch your soul. On Twitter I called the film an indie Can’t Hardly Wait for a new generation, and while I’m not sure that comparison is completely valid I’m going to go with it. The story is not set over the course of one night, but instead over the course of one weekend. While Wait was primarily set at a party, a high school party is the starting point for The First Time. This is where Dave Hodgman (Dylan O’Brien) meets Aubrey Miller (Britt Robertson) for the first time.
Read More »
Watching Antonio Campos‘s Simon Killer at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, I couldn’t help think of AMC ‘s TV show Breaking Bad. Both that show and this film embrace their titles and feature the systematic devolution of a human from generally likable to downright nasty. Simon Killer just does it through an indie film lens: subtly, psychologically and with a younger character. That character, Simon, masterfully played by Melancholia star Brady Corbet, is a troubled young college graduate trying to find himself in Paris. From there, he slowly becomes a despicable human being you can’t take your eyes off of.
I can’t say Simon Killer is always pleasant to watch, but it’s not supposed to be. It’s supposed to make you feel the way this character feels, and in that it aim it succeeds. Read More »
Hi, my name is Germain and I’m a Tim and Eric fan. I’ve been a fan for about 4 years, which is when I first discovered their Adult Swim show Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job. Their off-the-wall, awkward and weird brand of humor brand is certainly an acquired taste but well worth the trouble.
If you’ve done the leg work and are a fan of Tim and Eric like I am, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim‘s first feature film, Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie is a riot. The duo have successfully adapted their style and humor into feature length with a little help from their friends Zach Galifianakis, Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Robert Loggia, Jeff Goldblum, Will Forte and William Atherton. While it runs a bit too long and can drag at moments, overall, fans are going to have a truly fun experience with the film. Non-fans, on the other hand, might struggle through some of the madness.
After the jump, watch myself and Ethan Anderton from First Showing discuss the film on video! Read More »
In the low-key Sundance premiere I Am Not a Hipster, Dominic Bogart plays a San Diego indie rock singer/songwriter named Brook who is stuck in a depression. His three sisters and estranged father visit, forcing him to break his self-isolation and confront something he has spent two years running away from — the death of his mother.
I Am Not a Hipster is a musical, but not in the traditional sense. The film is likely to draw comparisons to the Sundance hit film Once as it features a lot of music in performance form. The film shows the personal journey from emotion to song, crafting a narrative from the soul. The music is beautiful yet raw and full of emotion.
Read More »
