RAINBOW TIME

Linas Phillips     Timm Sharp     Melanie Lynskey     Tobin Bell     Jay Duplass

     Rainbow Time, written, directed, produced and starring Linas Phillips, is a mess in picturing a dysfunctional family using measures that serve to increase problems rather than solve them.  Shonzi (Phillips)—because his name is Shaun and he loves Fonzi—is a sex-obsessed young man with no social skills and a ton of rage.  He had a prenatal brain injury that resulted in some damage to his brain, but my impression is that most of his issues are related to his family not setting limits with him and their general habit of making insincere statements, such as “I’m sorry”, when they’re not really, or “You’re great; everything’s fine” when they’re totally frustrated with one another.

     Shonzi is clearly frustrated in not being able to have a girlfriend and is envious of his younger brother Todd (Sharp) whose girlfriend is Lindsay (Lynskey).  Much of the story is Shonzi trying to come between them—which is supposed to be funny—but because of the way he does it and the family deals with it, I cringed over and over.  Case in point, Shonzi is inappropriate with Lindsay, and her solution is for him to stay with her while Todd goes to work, and maybe he could give her a back rub right now.

      Much of the plot is taken up with making videos, something of interest to Shonzi that he and Todd have bonded over.  But some of these are of Todd and Lindsay in intimate moments, and Shonzi manages to see these as well as nude photos of Todd’s ex-wife. 

Miraculously, Shonzi does improve, but there is nothing we’re shown that would make that a logical transition.

There aren’t many rainbows in Rainbow Time.

Grade:  D                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE MASTER CLEANSE

Johny Galecki     Anna Friel     Anjelica Huston     Oliver Platt

     People look for all kinds of ways to heal their grief and disappointments in life.  In this film, Paul (Galecki) is grieving deep down over the loss of his fiancé, although not really dealing with it.  Finally, some advertisement for a “Master Cleanse” (“Let’s get pure” is its message) gets his attention, and he ambivalently responds.  Participants have to “try out” to get invited to a retreat by talking into a video camera about their troubles.  The “master”, Ken Roberts (Platt), looks at these and decides who will be admitted into the program.  (Of course, most will.)

     Paul has his eye on a young woman named Maggie (Friel), an actress who has told a bitter story about what happened to her.  She rebuffs his approaches offering sympathy, but on the first day at the retreat (in a beautiful setting in the woods), there she is, although still rather standoffish.  They also encounter another young couple who were also at the same audition.

     This very first day, rather strange things start happening.  Tellingly, the film is categorized as being in the genres of comedy, drama, fantasy, and horror—and that is part of the problem with it.  Writer/director Bobby Miller has tried to incorporate all of these, giving it a scattered feel.  It’s a bit confusing for the viewer at times because it’s not clear whether certain moments are supposed to be funny, scary, or dramatic.  For example, as suggested by the title, the participants are given four foul-tasting drinks they are to finish before nightfall.  Of course, this involves vomit and poop—which filmmakers now seem to think are inevitably funny.  When odd things happen in the plumbing thereafter, we get a taste (awful pun) of horror.  There is also one tragic dramatic scene, which is not set up very well nor the couple involved really described in a way that pulls at our emotions.

     The film is a bit strange as well in the way it has elements of psychological truths, such as those having to do with the emotional drain of holding onto problems rather than changing oneself.  These problems can grow larger if the person continues to repress them.  The film illustrates these in a very concrete way, which is likewise part comedy, part truth, and part horror.  This approach doesn’t quite fit with the spoof on trendy counseling, such as the Huston character suddenly appearing out of the woods yelling at the top of her voice (which is supposed to be a catharsis).

     Galecki carries his lead role very well, showing the different layers of his personality and weaknesses.  Friel and he have good rapport when they finally start bonding, and it is clever to see th the results of their cleansing bearing resemblances to their personalities.  Anjelica Huston and Oliver Platt are wonderful as caricatures of trendy therapeutic gurus.

A therapeutic retreat to cleanse the body and soul produces some odd creatures.    

Grade:  C+                                    By Donna R. Copeland

WAR ON EVERYONE

Alexander Skarsgard     Michael Pena     Theo James     Tessa Thompson     

Stephanie Sigman     Caleb Landry Jones     Malcolm Barrett

      The talented British (Irish descent) brothers, John Michael (Calvary, The Guard) and Martin (Seven Psychopaths, In Bruges) McDonagh, write and direct edgy films that grab you emotionally, and simultaneously make social statements about the world we live in.  In War on Everyone John Michael presents a film shot in New Mexico about two rogue policemen who skirt the law and feel free to render justice as they see fit. 

      Bob Bolano (Pena) is the more levelheaded one who feels responsibility toward the more impulsive Terry (Skarsgard).  They share such a brotherly connection that Bob’s kids call Terry “Uncle Terry”.  By having these two officers take matters into their own hands at the risk of their careers, McDonagh will appeal to the sympathies of some viewers, those who have little investment in adherence to U. S. law and the Constitution, and perhaps as a reaction to recent reports of police misbehavior.

       In this light, Bob and Terry have no compunction about demanding a percentage of the profit from criminals, and when Terry’s current love (Thompson) asks how he can afford such a nice house, he shrugs her off.  Both men regard possessions as disposable (when his son’s Xbox is thrown down and broken, Bob will simply demand another from one of his arrests), yet unlike religious figures who shun possessions on moral grounds, Bob and Terry seek the American dream of entitlement and ownership.  Pena and Skarsgard seem perfect for these roles, and make a good comedy team in their bumbling and Pena’s attempts to quote maxims and philosophies.

       This film has major violence, which should be taken as symbolic more than as a recipe to follow.  When Bob and Terry take on wealthy James Mangan (Theo James), they encounter someone who has fewer scruples than they do, but they are determined to bring him down on their own, even though they’ve been suspended from the police force for their behavior.

     Although John Michael McDonagh’s previous films have been some of my favorites, I don’t particularly care for this type of film in which policemen have no regard for their responsibility, and compete with criminals for the loot.  Perhaps I have taken it too seriously.

     The music of Lorne Balfe, with the insertion of Glen Campbell ballads at pointed or random times lightens the experience of the film and made me smile.  Bob Bukowski’s cinematography is another characteristic that heightens the value of War on Everyone. 

A surreal buddy-cop spoof on law enforcement in the U.S.

Grade:  C+                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE TRUST

Nicholas Cage                  Elijah Wood

     The Trust attempts to combine comedy and thrills, and partly succeeds with both.  The script by Benjamin Brewer, co-director with his brother Alex, falls a bit short in terms of flow, surprise, and suspense.  The bumbling by the two policemen involved in accessing a cache of valuable goods in Las Vegas is funny at times, but other times falls flat.  The two experienced actors, Nicholas Cage and Elijah Wood, are up to their usual level of skill, but some things written for them to do or say are just not funny. 

     Jim (Cage) is David’s (Wood) supervisor, and clumsily tries to teach the younger man a bit of police investigative instinct; but it seems he always has to give him the answer to his leading questions because David is usually at a loss.  This is a part of the script that is puzzling; when they do a “job” it’s clear that David is the one who is better at planning, although Jim does have practical sense. But there is a contradiction in David’s being characterized as slow in some places and quick-witted in others—unless the writer is trying to show that Jim’s “caginess” is actually not so smart after all, and it just takes David a while to catch on.

     Jim is the one who questions the story behind someone coming up with $200,000 cash for an accused felon’s bail.  He decides to investigate who the donor is, how he makes his living, and why he would rescue the felon.  In this, he needs David’s investigative smarts; Dave is reluctant from the get-go, but when his boss puts pressure on him, he tends to cave.  Needless to say, the pair do not intend to turn the evidence in to their department.

     The rest of the story is about what happens when they find the cache and the significant snags they encounter along the way, including having two people unexpectedly on their hands whom they have to deal with.  Although the ending is likely to be suspected by many, it does have some twists along the way that are entertaining and close to clever.

     Music by Reza Safinia is rather trite, but cinematography by Sean Porter is subtle and noteworthy in transitions and camera movement.

Trust is hard to come by in some cases.

Grade:  D+                     By Donna R. Copeland

TRANSPECOS

Clifton Collins                  Gabriel Luna                  Johnny Simmons

     Transpecos is a contemporary western populated by border patrol agents and the Mexican cartels rather than the cowboys and Indians of old.  It highlights the insidious threat cartels pose in their broad influence and mercilessness when someone resists them.  It reminds me of the documentary nominated for an Academy Award this year, Cartel Land, the locale of which is Mexico, whereas Transpecos takes place in Luna County, New Mexico, just outside of Deming.  In both countries, the cartels can loom so threateningly, someone caught in their web can experience complete impotence and hopelessness.

       In this drama, Flores (Luna) and his supervisee Davis (Simmons) are reporting to duty where Hobbs (Collins) is stationed at a border inspection station.  They argue about terminology (“wetbacks” vs. job-seeking Mexicans), wonder what the howling winds will blow in, and horse around a bit.  When they go out into the desert, Flores is giving Davis instructions about how to track illegals trying to enter the country.  When they return to the border patrol station, they have a major conflict about whether or not to detain a certain driver and search his car.  This has mildly come up with a few cars previously, but this time one of the agents insists that they let the car proceed, and the central dilemma of the story is revealed.

       In the Q&A after its SXSW premier the Director and co-writer Greg Kwedar and writer Clint Bentley said they spent a fair amount of time getting to know border patrol agents and hearing their stories, and their accounts of the boredom and isolation that are a part of their jobs.  The agency they work for was not as forthcoming, and eventually even issued a “Do not associate” order to their agents not to talk with the filmmakers.  Consequently, members of the crew were responsible for creating the uniforms, trucks, and other equipment appearing in the movie.  One of the film’s strengths is its even-handedness toward all the characters—the agents as well as the immigrants and those trying to cross the border—however, not, of course, the cartels.

      The script is well written, and it moves along at a good pace with continual surprises.  Actors Collins, Luna, and Simmons are convincing in their portrayals, and the cinematography of Jeffrey Waldron accentuates the natural beauty of the New Mexican landscape, including its radiant sunsets.  This is Austin-based Kwedar’s feature directorial debut, which is being well received at its SXSW premier.

A contemporary western thriller pitting US border patrol against Mexican cartels.

Grade:  B                 By Donna R. Copeland

BORN TO BE BLUE

Ethan Hawke                  Carmen Ejogo                  Callum Keith Rennie

        The man credited with West Coast Swing was apparently born to be blue.  Getting an introduction to his parents goes a long way towards explaining the title and the man, Chet Baker, who was all the rage in the ‘50s for his trumpet playing.  But after he was introduced to heroin his weakness/need for it, along with a chip on his shoulder, made him unpredictable and impulsively aggressive toward authority figures.  He was truly addicted to the drug in his conviction that he could perform better with it, and since playing was his most valued asset, it assumed top priority.

     As with other bio-pics recently, Born to be Blue is not linear in its structure; the filmmakers intended for it to be “impressionistic” more than presenting a factual account.  And like this year’s Miles Davis picture, it does not proceed in a linear fashion so jumps around in time and place.  I’m not a fan of this approach.

On the other hand, Ethan Hawke as Baker captures what I assume is the essence of the man, his charm, his social awkwardness, his brittleness of character, and single-minded passion for music. 

      Hawke’s representation evolves subtly and slowly; it takes a while to warm up to the man.  But by the end, he will have won the viewer’s sympathy and admiration, at least to some extent.  The director, Robert Budreau, devotes ample time to the music, which is beautifully rendered.

      Baker desperately wanted to impress Miles Davis (who was more often derisive) and Dizzy Gillespie, but when he was severely beaten—purposefully in the mouth, damaging his embouchure—by thugs sent by his drug dealer, he was forced into hiatus, and most thought he could never play again.  Born/Blue mostly covers this period of time, showing that for all his flaws, his need to play music gave him the persistence and commitment to rehabilitate himself.

     Born to be Blue also pays attention to the few people surrounding Baker who were supportive and probably responsible for saving his career.  His wife (Ejogo), an appealing, attentive woman who eventually could not tolerate his drug use; Dick (Rennie), his mentor, and finally, Dizzy Gillespie.

A look at the troubled, amazing life of Chet Baker.

Grade:  C+                By Donna R. Copeland

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL

Michael Shannon    Kirsten Dunst     Joel Edgerton     Adam Driver     Sam Shepard     Jaeden Lieberher

        For a fanciful blend of creativity and imagination with reality and clever CGI effects, go see Midnight Special.  Jeff Nichols (Mud, Take Shelter) spun this from his brain soon after he became a first-time father.  When his son was a newborn he had a febrile seizure, which the author drew on for the script.  Parental responsibility is one of several themes of the film, and the parents here—while outside the norm—demonstrate their love of their son in a way that is beyond that of most parents.

      The movie opens with a newscast of a child kidnapping, focusing on a religious sect housed on a ranch in the community—an unusual first look.  Viewers are apprised of the details gradually in a way that prolongs the suspense.  In short, there are two sets of parents, not necessarily on different sides, an intense search going on led by the FBI, and a state trooper risking his life in helping a childhood friend, one of the fathers.

      The reason the FBI is involved is that classified government data has been breached from a satellite meant to detect nuclear activity.  Moreover, the religious group has been apprised of the government codes, has formed their religious beliefs around them, and have become convinced that a day of judgment is at hand.  All this centers around a young boy named Alton (Lieberher), whom his biological father (Shannon) has in tow with the assistance of his friend (Edgerton).  The religious group wants him because if he is with them, they’ll be saved on the day of judgment.  Government officials are seeking the boy, who could possibly be a weapon.  Alarming events can happen when the boy goes into apparent seizures, such as brilliant lights streaming down from the sky and exploding on earth. 

      The actor playing Alton is very effective, partly just because of his looks, which are accentuated with blue-green goggles he wears when he is reading his comic books, as well as his sheer talent.  Shannon and Edgerton deliver their usual exceptional performances as the two “kidnappers”, and Dunst comes in as the boy’s mother—all of them demonstrating sensitivity to the boy’s needs despite being outliers and all looking a bit odd.  Driver has his moments as the NSA’s man whose training is in his expertise in understanding religious groups and chasing down evidence and data.  He has a major transformation in his encounters with this motley group of people that is cleverly inserted to help convince us of the validity of the boy’s visions.

      Jeff Nichols has become one of the rare writers/directors who is able to weave reality and fantasy together while still keeping the plot tight, without holes.  His and his team’s CGI is beautiful to behold, and serves a key function in depicting Alton’s surreal experience and the effects of other-world events. 

A TRULY SPECIAL MIDNIGHT RIDE.

Grade:  A           By Donna R. Copeland