Past seven days

Hope everyone had a good holiday (or at least a good break!) Here's what I've been up to:

After Shock
Le Ciel Est A Vous
Good for Nothing
The Hobbit (2012)
Jade Warrior
Not Fade Away

I Will Follow

This movie has a pretty familiar theme. A woman has to deal with the passing of an ancestor, and there are issues with other members of the family. Some minor things to commend it are an all African-American cast, including some supporting characters whom the main character encounters in her time of grief

In flashbacks, we see May (Salli Richardson-Whitfield) spending time with her aunt (Beverly Todd), who has cancer, living with her in her last year of life. In the present, May is emptying out her now-deceased aunt’s house in preparation to move out. She is expecting her aunt’s daughter/her cousin, Fran (Michole Briana White), to come by to help clean up as well as pick out any of her mother’s things she doesn’t want to go to Goodwill. When Fran arrives, she brings along her teen son and two younger kids, then starts making excuses of having to take care of the kids, leaving May alone to do the work. The teen son, Raven, stays behind and helps May, and she tells him stories of his grandmother. It seems the grandmother was a noted session musician in the disco era, who--while she was well known in the industry--didn’t have widely known personal success in the public eye. May is also a professional makeup artist who put aside her career to care for her aunt, so they shared an artistic side.

When Fran returns, she shows her resentment and jealousy, blaming May for “coercing” her aunt to make some difficult choices about her life. The women argue about quality of life and the aunt/mother choosing her own lifepath. Fran leaves without changing her attitude, but throughout the story May has short encounters with other people—a neighbor who didn’t know the aunt well offers some kind words; the man who drives the moving van leaves after an altercation but then returns in sympathy; May talks to some old boyfriends; a cable tv installer comes to remove the satellite dish.

Angel-A

This French movie, directed by Luc Besson, is filmed in black and white.

Jamel Debbouze stars as a small time crook, Andre, who owes some people a lot of money, and fast. (The film doesn’t say what he’s needed that money for.) He tries borrowing new money to pay the old lender, but it is unsuccessful because he is just not good at asserting himself. Feeling the heat, he tries to commit suicide on a bridge, but saves a leggy blonde Angela (Rie Rasmussen), who is doing the same. He doesn’t want to admit his suicide urge but she is forthright and says she will do anything he wants in return for him saving her life. Throughout the film she expresses her opinion that Andre is just too meek to be the tough guy that his lifestyle needs him to be. The story shows her boldly going where Andre has never gone before.

Andre thinks he can impress the new money guy by bringing Angela along, hoping this will convince the guy he is a big shot and deserves the money. When he is still unsuccessful, Angela agrees to have sex with the guy for cash, which discomfits Andre, and although he is at odds over whether to take her money or not, he does end up taking it. She continues this behavior by having sex with men at clubs for money, leaving Andre to drink alone in misery and collect the cash. From time to time they meet up with the bruisers to whom he owes money, but it seems Angela has some kind of special powers where she can coerce men into doing what she wants (or easily knocks them out).

Later she tries to convince Andre that all he needs to boost his confidence is to be more self-assured, and there is a scene where Andre has to admit to himself that he needs to love himself more. She convinces Andre to look in a mirror and voice some self-affirmation mantras.

Free event: Pegasus

If you prefer heavy drama, check out this film in the Chicago Public Library's Global Lens series of foreign films.

In Pegasus, an emotionally stressed psychiatrist tries to connect to a young, traumatized woman who refuses to speak. The story of the psychiatrist herself may have similarities to the woman's problem.

Pegasus
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
6:00 p.m.
Chicago Public Library, Bezazian Public Library
1226 W. Ainslie Street

Free event: Swing Time

Get away from holiday stress today and catch a musical!

The Northbrook Public Library continues with another Fred Astaire film. Swing Time is one of the better known of the Astaire and Rogers films, but the premise is just as flimsy to build some songs and dances around. This film includes the Bojangles of Harlem song and dance routine, where Fred dances in blackface to copies of his shadow. It is meant to be a tribute to Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, who as the song states, is more famous than the President (who, in 1936 when this film was made, was Franklin Roosevelt).

Swing Time
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Northbrook Public Library
1201 Cedar Lane
Northbrook, IL 60062

Past seven days

Looking forward to a break next week to watch even more moves! This week wasn't too bad and I even watched some tv shows not listed here.

Angel-A
Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away
Detachment
The Finger
Ghajini
Les Miserables (2012)
The Spook Who Sat by the Door

Free event: The Entrepreneur

A man inherits a dying business which he hopes will be acquired, but his marriage also begins to fail.

The Entreprenuer
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
6:00 p.m.
Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Chicago
500 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1450

Free event: Monsieur Lazhar

Transistor, the record shop and art gallery, continues to offer free films. Today's offering is not music-related, but was Oscar-nominated last year as Best Foreign Film.

The film involves several cultures, as a substitute Algerian teacher in Montreal deals with his own grief after filling in for another teacherwho committed suicide.  This film is from Belgium.

Monsieur Lazhar
Monday, December 17, 2012
8:00 p.m.
Transistor
3819 N. Lincoln Avenue

The Moon-Spinners

This is one of Hayley Mills' Disney era pictures she did as a teenager. When I watched this as a kid she was the only actress I knew, despite Joan Greenwood as her aunt, Eli Wallach as the villain, Irene Papas as the inn owner, and Pola Negri as a rich woman that Mills meets late in the picture.

Mills is Nikki, who travels with her aunt (Greenwood) to the Mediterranean island of Crete. They take in the local color while her aunt records folk songs for her anthropological studies. Nikki spies an attractive young man, Mark (Peter McEnery) whom she later discovers has some kind of secret. It involves the menacing/friendly Stratos (Wallach, playing Greek) and stolen jewels. The young couple have to find proof that Stratos is a thief while also evade being kidnapped and shot.

Free event: The Prize

In this film from Mexico, a mother and daughter leave Buenos Aires while it is under military rule. At the daughte's new school, students are asked to write a patriotic essay on those same dictators who may have made her father "disappear."

The Prize
Thursday, December 13, 2012
6:00 p.m.
Chicago Public Library, Lincoln Belmont Public Library
1659 W. Melrose Street

Past seven days

One day late but a decent week!

Django, Unchained
The Driver
Evening Primrose
Gifted Hands
Hyde Park on Hudson
Intimate Stranger
Pegasus
Perfect Sense
Three Wishes for Cinderella
True Believer

Free event: Roberta

The Northbrook Public Library seems to be starting a series of Fred Astaire screenings. This first film, Roberta, is a mishmash of characters, co-starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, although the main headliner is Irene Dunne, as you can see from the poster. The premise is that a football player (a wholesome Randolph Scott) has inherited his aunt's fashion shop, where he falls for the aunt's true designer, played by Irene Dunne. There is no character named Roberta in the film, in fact it is the name of the fashion shop (although the aunt who owns it is named Minnie--confusing, huh?) The original source material is a novel called "Gowns by Roberta."

Roberta
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Northbrook Public Library
1201 Cedar Lane
Northbrook, IL 60062

Free event: Being John Malkovich

I wonder how this film would have turned out if it was "Being" someone else? "Being Meryl Streep," "Being Nicolas Cage," "Being Charlie Chaplin?" It would make for an interesting discussion at your next party, especially if you have some film buffs on your guest list!

Being John Malkovich
Monday, December 10, 2012
8:00 p.m.
Transistor
3819 N. Lincoln Avenue

Free event: Amnesty

In this film from Albania, two people meeting their partners for a conjugal visit in prison end up sympathizing with each other instead.

Amnesty
Thursday, December 6, 2012
6:00 p.m.
Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center
Cindy Pritzker Auditorium
400 S. State Street

Free event: Holiday Inn

Sometimes these old musicals have such contrived plots, but great songs, that you don't mind the flimsy premise. In Holiday Inn, a singer (Bing Crosby) and a dancer (Fred Astaire) open up an inn which only opens on holidays. The musical numbers centers around these holidays. The enduring holiday classic song White Christmas (and other songs by Irving Berlin) were used in this movie. White Christmas was used again in a film of the same name, also starring Bing Crosby, in the 1950s. Interestingly, Irving Berlin was the one who came up with the idea of a hotel only opened on holidays.

Of course there is a romantic storyline for both characters as well, with ladies played by Virginia Dale and Marjorie Reynolds.

Holiday Inn
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Northbrook Public Library
1201 Cedar Lane
Northbrook, IL 60062

Past seven days

I didn't get to some screenings as planned, so here instead are some movies I caught on DVD and Netflix. I am not sure if I want to get stuck on the TV show American Horror Story, as it is a bit too melodramatic and introduces too many characters and elements.  Thoughts?

Going Postal
Hogfather
Playing For Keeps

Playing for Keeps

Gerard Butler is one of the producers of this film and also plays the lead character, George, an ex-soccer player falling on more desperate times while trying to re-connect with his ex-wife.

George has trouble paying his rent and his own soccer memorabilia doesn't fetch much on the resale market. During his son Lewis' soccer game, he notices the coach is distracted and not very good, and takes it upon himself to teach the team a few things. The parents notice this and ask him to be coach. George's ex wife Stacie (Jessica Biel) is about to be remarried, but George still wants her back. At first he coaches the kids' team in order to get closer back to her, but she warns him that it better be for his son's sake, and not some misguided attempt to woo her back.

Meanwhile, three soccer moms vie for his attention. The married Patty is a desperate housewife whose husband throws money around and suspects her of infidelity when he is doing the same (Uma Thurman, Dennis Quaid). Barb is divorced and depressed (Judy Greer). Denise is a sportscaster who uses her industry connections to help George get a potential sportscasting job with ESPN (Catherine Zeta-Jones). While George at first welcomes the romantic and sexual advances, he becomes a bit more mature and tries harder to work on himself and his relationship with his son Lewis, as well as with Stacie. There is some comic relief with George's landlord (Iqbal Theba) as he asks for the rent money and sees the women come and go from George's house.

Free event: The Wind Blows Round

A French shepherd brings his family to the Italian Alps, where the citizens of a small town hope his presence revitalizes the life there. Unfortunately, the town becomes divisive.

The Wind Blows Round
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
6:00 p.m.
Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Chicago
500 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1450

Premium Rush

Just sit back and enjoy the action in this movie. There are many bike stunts and fast riding, but the story is not really that important to the main character, except as a plot device.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a daring New York City bike courier known as Wilee sent to deliver an envelope to Chinatown. What he doesn't know is that a crooked cop and gambling addict (Michael Shannon) needs to pay a Chinatown gambling debt, so is given info that Wilee is delivering a bearer bond kind of ticket that will net the holder of the ticket a wad of cash.

Wilee also has to deal with typical 20-something stuff--a girlfriend and a romantic/professional rival.

Free event: Fat, Bald, Short Man

I first saw Fat, Bald, Short Man at last year's Chicago International Film Festival.  It is getting some re-screenings during the Chicago Public Library's Global Lens film series this winter.  I like the film and its depiction of a meek man emboldened to make his presence known.

Fat Bald Short Man
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
6:00 p.m.
Chicago Public Library, Sulzer Regional Library
4455 N. Lincoln Avenue

Free event: Bernie

If you didn't catch Bernie when it first was released, here is another chance to catch it, for FREE!  It has a great performance by Jack Black, who is equally well-known these days for acting as he is for being a comic musician.  Shirley MacLaine also turns in a performance of a character type she is well-known for, an older lady who takes no guff.  Matthew McConaughey rounds out the main cast.

Bernie
Monday, December 3, 2012
8:00 p.m.
Transistor
3819 N. Lincoln Avenue