Paul Solet is the writer and director of a chilling new horror film, Grace (read review here), which recently premiered at Sundance. It is a suspenseful and intense horror film that questions the meaning of motherhood and how far one would go to protect their young. Solet covers new ground in a way that is horrifying and completely understanding at the same time. Grace has been picked up by Anchor Bay and is a compelling horror film everyone should be looking out for in the near future. Solet is an up and coming horror director that you should keep an eye on.

Kelsey: How did Eli Roth being your camp counselor have influence on you career as a horror writer and director?

Paul: I always loved movies and was already rabidly writing and accruing as much genre knowledge as an 11 year old can, but Eli already knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life, and wasn't going to take no for an answer, so he was the person that made me realize you really can do this thing. I mean, actually make this your career. From that point on, every time someone asked me what I wanted to do, I said direct movies. Eli has always been a very generous friend and mentor to me. He's gone way out of his way to make sure that I learn from his experience and never make any mistakes he already made. He's always let me pay my own dues, just like he did, which I'm enormously grateful for. The last thing I'd want to do is make it to this awesome place and not be sure I made it here on the merits of my own work. Eli also showed me that there aren't any shortcuts. Ever. No one will do anything for you, and you get out what you put in. He also taught me the importance of treating EVERYONE with kindness and respect, whether they're an overweight Princess Laya at a convention, or the executive who can greenlight your movie. Maybe the most important thing Eli taught me was the importance of having a positive attitude, and being grateful for what you have, instead of getting lost in what it is you think you need.

Kelsey: What were some of the films that build up your passion for the horror genre?

Paul: Guillermo del Toro's films, like PAN'S LABRYNTH and DEVIL'S BACKBONE are some of the most beautiful and inspiring genre films today. I grew up on Polanski and Cronenberg, so movies like REPULSION, THE TENENT, and DEAD RINGERS and VIDEODROME are ingrained pretty deep in my heart. I'm also big fan of Michael Heneke's stuff, like BENNY'S VIDEO and THE PIANO TEACHER, and I'm continually mesmerized by Kiyoshi Kurosawa's films, particularly because of his use of sound, like CURE and PULSE. I'm also pretty wild about some of the Italian masters, Fulci's giallos, like DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING and LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN are genius. Argento opened the door for me, there. And then there are some more art house films, like SALO and A BELL FROM HELL that are fucking mind blowing. There are young guys working today who I find extremely inspiring, like Fabrice du Welz and Jaume Balaguero. I am as excited about this genre as I've ever been. There's so much potential here, and people are finally getting that.

Kelsey: In Grace, there is a powerful exploration of the meaning of motherhood. As you are a single male with no children, how did the idea for the film come to you and how did you form this bond of a mother and her child? For you was the film more about loss than any specific type of relationship?

Paul: The film has deeply personal significance for me because I had a twin that didn't survive in the womb. When I learned that, this subject matter became extremely compelling to me at a cellular level. Creatively, GRACE came from a conversation about the medical phenomenon that if you lose your unborn child, there's a possibility that, if labor isn't induced, you will carry it to term. I'm always looking for things that get under my skin, and, even as a man, the idea of carrying your own dead baby to term was an extremely potent kernel of horror. The film is definitely about the uncanny power of the bond between a mother and child, and beneath that it's about loss, but at its very core, it's about wanting something, needing something you cannot have. That, to me, is something that's fundamentally human, and while I think many of us wish it weren't true, I believe we can pretty much all relate that experience.

Kelsey: In college, you studied film and psychology. How do you think your knowledge of the human psyche plays as much of a part in your writing as your understanding of film does?

Paul: I feel really strongly that if you want to make films that really transcend, that really speak to people for longer than the running time of the film, you need to reach them not just at the gut, but at the heart and the soul and the mind. Any knowledge of the human heart and the human psyche are going to be helpful. I don't actually know that taking psychology classes will help your writing, but paying attention to your fellows, what drives them, what repels them, what frightens them, that's probably pretty essential.

Kelsey: There are some great psychological themes going on with the female figures in the film. The mother, Madeline, becomes a completely different person as she fends for her baby that is more monstrous than human, doing things she never would have done before. Also, her stepmother seems to be suffering from loss as well, the loss of having a child to take care for. She seems to alter her reality and do whatever she can to be a mother again. Can you talk about this life altering need to care for someone?

Paul: You really nailed it. The two women, Madeline, the protagonist, and Vivian, the antagonist, have dramatically different takes on what mothering is. Madeline's is a much less selfish view, in fact, almost an entirely selfless view, whereas Vivian's is largely about identity, about her own need to be mothering. This isn't something she, herself, is conscious of, which is one of the things that makes her not just a villainous bitch. She really does believe that she simply wants what's best for the child.

Kelsey: The pacing of Grace is very different from most horror films. Did you want to take a slower pace to the film to really share their story and give the audience a chance to understand the characters before they cross a very questionable line?

Paul: Yes, that's a big part of it. I think there's a lot of fear driven film-making out there. Fear that the audience is too stupid to stay in the game unless there is a constant barrage of images. If there's no story, the only thing that would hold anyone in the game is just that type of constant stimulation, but when you have character's that are real, that love and bleed and cry like you do, and when you have a story that moves instead of manipulating, you don't need spectacle or gimmickry or novelty. Audiences are very savvy these days. Particularly genre audiences. We're more cinema literate than ever before. I believe in audiences.

Kelsey: In Grace we are dealing with a baby who is both vampiric and essentially a zombie, yet these character types really aren't shown in this seemingly innocent and adorable baby. Grace really doesn't seem to be a vampire film or a zombie film. Personally, it feels most like dramatic horror. Could this be a new sub-genre that horror films might fit in to the future, focusing on story telling and character development more than gore or deaths?

Paul: I'd love to see more films like this. If you're doing your job as a filmmaker, you're making films you want to see, and this is the type of film I love. That's why it's so important to me that people get to see this film. Watching audiences watch the movie is just a testament that people don't need to be spoon fed to love a film.

Kelsey: How important was it for you to direct Grace yourself?

Paul: When I first started to show people the script, I got offers to option it, but people didn't want to let me direct it because all I had done were shorts. I'm not someone who has real pride of authorship issues, so if I had been presented with a director who really got the film and was going to do something beautiful with it, I wouldn't have resisted, but the directors I was introduced to weren't going to do that. For that reason, it was tremendously important to me to make the film myself. My allegiance is always to the story, to seeing that the most effective film possible is the film that gets made. If that means I'm the one who gets to make it, I won't stop till I've done that.

Kelsey: How did Adam Green get involved with the project?

Paul: I made a 35mm short pitch film for GRACE that distilled the key beats in the first act of the feature into five minutes, and that film played a couple dozen festivals and won some awards, and got Adam's attention. Our friends over at Icons of Fright put us together, and he reached out to see a copy of the feature. He loved it and so did his posse over at Ariescope, and so we met up. We both show up wearing Red Sox hats and taking shit and busting each other's chops, and we realized we not only loved each other's work, but got along really well. From that moment, he was an absolutely selfless champion of this project, and a total guardian angel to me all the way through this process. And continues to be. Adam is the real deal.

Kelsey: The ending of Grace, takes the film in another direction, setting up what the next step in this baby's life will be and what she will turn in to. Is this a set up for a sequel or simply giving us an idea of where these people will be when the credits roll and we have left them?

Paul: Setting the scene for a sequel isn't my goal, I just believe that, just as a filmmaker needs to know where his characters' lives were before the story, he needs to know where they're going once the credits roll.

Kelsey: Grace was one of the very few horror films that showed at Sundance. What was it like to have your film representing the genre?

Paul: An absolute honor! Those people really care about films, so when they call you, they're as excited as you are that you got in! They actually called Adam Green's partner Cory and he saved their message for two months and played it for me after our final screening at Sundance, and it was just so cool to hear all the joy that went into making this film reflected right back at you. So, being a representative of our genre at Sundance, a place that LOVES movies, was a huge, huge honor to our whole team. We had the biggest posse of cast and crew in attendance I could find, and most of them came all the way from Canada. We hit the streets, old school, and made sure we brought the horror to Park City in as big a way as possible.

Kelsey: You have stated that you have a fondness for body horror. What is it about the terror one's body can inject that is so fascinating for you?

Paul: I'm just always looking to get scared again like I was when I was a little kid watching ALIENS, and it's not easy anymore, so when I find something that gets under my skin, I'm all over it. And it's precisely the stuff that gets under my skin that does it - the stuff where you have to face this idea that you don't have control over your own body, that is some of the only stuff that still shakes me up.

Kelsey: It seems like this past year with films like "Inside", the foreign horror films are pushing the limits and giving us horror with meaning. There are fewer American films doing this, especially those that are seen by the mainstream audience. What are your hopes for horror in the future? What would you personally like to bring to the table?

Paul: I have nothing but hope for horror right now. I don't really perceive the lines between American horror and the rest of the world's. To me, we've got a totally unique community here, a global community that really fucking loves something, and will do anything we can to see that it thrives. We just need to keep supporting the stuff we really love, things that are actually breaking new ground, movies like INSIDE, and CALVAIRE and REC and things like THE STRANGERS, as well. There are awesome horror films being made, we just need to go find them and support them instead of wasting all our energy hating on the less original stuff.

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Carey Mulligan, Susan Sarandon, Johnny Simmons, Aaron Johnson
Written & Directed By: Shana Fest
Grade: B+

The Greatest is a family melodrama and an untraditional love story. It is really about loss and how to come to terms with it. For some it is how to face it while others it is just about letting go. It shows broken families and the how different losing a loved one is for every person.

Bennett Brewer (Johnson) was a perfect student, very involved in school. He was what everyone dreams their child would be. He had an extremely bright future ahead of him and was just beginning to have a relationship with the girl he has had a crush on for years, Rose (Mulligan). In that night that they were together, they fell in love. Seconds later they got in to a car crash, injuring Rose and killing Bennett. His family is completely devastated by this and struggle with it every day. Bennett’s mother, Grace (Sarandon), can’t get her son out of her head. It is killing her that she doesn’t know what her son’s last moments were like. She realizes that it is very possible that the last person to talk to him was most likely the boy who crashed in to Bennett’s car, who is now in a coma. Grace is determined to know what she doesn’t and begins redecorating this boy’s hospital room along with talking and reading to him every day in hopes that he will wake up and give her the missing pieces. Bennett’s father, Allen (Brosnan), seems to be having the opposite problems, rather than obsessing over what happened he is having trouble acknowledging it. When Bennett’s name is mentioned he immediately changes the subject. Pretending like it didn’t happen is a lot easier for him than facing the painful truth.

Bennett’s younger and more rough around the edges brother, Ryan (Simmons), was too hung over from the night before to even remember anything from his brother’s funeral. The bad things about his brother, the things that drove him crazy and made him feel inferior is what stands out to him, while Bennett is still praised even in death. Ryan begins going to meetings, talking to other young people who have lost someone close to them. It takes him awhile to open up. He doesn’t feel the same why these people do and how he thinks he probably should be feeling. Amongst all of the fear, anger, and clashing among the family in this difficult time for them things get a little more complicated. Rose comes to their door and tells them that she is pregnant with Bennett’s baby. Her mother has mental problems and is staying in a home that can treat this. At this point Rose really has no place else to go so Allen agrees to let her stay with them. Grace is furious about this, she only sees Rose as a bad influence and blames her for his death. She doesn’t at all want to condone the baby. Still, Rose becomes a part of their dysfunctional family. Rose gets along with Ryan, but even more so, she becomes very close to Allen. The two spend a lot of time together, which sparks a certain amount of jealousy in Grace, causing her to blame Rose more and more for Bennett’s death.

Usually I am not a big fan of Pierce Brosnan, overall I don’t think he’s the best actor. In The Greatest he gives one of his best performances in a long time as Allen Brewer. Brosnan has suffered through loss himself and had the proper mentality and personal experience to really bring some truth and understanding to this character. There is one scene that everything his character has shown builds up to; when he finally releases the emotion that he has been holding back. This is one moment where Brosnan’s performance seems weak. This was such a critical moment that there just wasn’t enough conviction and feeling in. Aside from this one moment, Brosnan does manage to give us a very good performance full of one man’s fear of the loss he has encountered as well as losing what he still has. Susan Sarandon did very well as Grace. Sarandon brought a great level of obsessive desperation to the table. For most of the movie she was not a very likeable character just because of the cold and almost vicious person that this turned her in to. She quickly falls apart, becoming more and more fragile, moments away from completely breaking.

Sarandon and Brosnan did wonders for the film, but the most impressive performances came from the newcomers, Johnny Simmons and Carey Mulligan. This is definitely Simmon’s first meaningful role and he really delivers. His character is completely unconventional. He isn’t the perfect son that his brother was and he still resents him for that. It’s not easy to play a character who still holds a grudge against his dead brother, yet Simmons makes him one of the most likeable characters in the film. He is our underdog, the invisible child, the screw up, which makes him highly relatable since most of us have felt this way at one time or another in our lives. Also, he gives us some great comedic relief along with Mulligan, helping the film from becoming too dark and depressing. Simmons does really well with the revelation he comes too. We understand him far before this point, but when he does get there the emotion is at a high point and impossible not to effect you. Carey Mulligan gave a completely incredible performance as Rose. She gives out this very quirky, creative, and very fun energy. Mulligan is bursting with charisma and charm, working beautifully with every one of the characters. She starred in another Sundance favorite this year, An Education. It seems that Mulligan will not be a stranger to us for very long.

The love story side of the film is different than what you are used to seeing, but it is done so well that it takes a hold of your heart. The first scene shows Rose and Bennett together, really taking the moment in. They are in a car together and stop, simply to take to get to know each other better. That is when the car hits and it is questionable if they will ever get that chance now. Towards the end of the film, Rose tells Allen the story of how Bennett and her met. As Rose beautifully narrates the story with great admiration and love, we see how they met each other. They knew each other and both had crushes on the other all throughout high school. Neither of them never talked to the other though. They both had practice everyday after school and would pass each other in the hall at the exact same time. When they did they would be waiting, gazing right in to the others’ eyes. It was a powerful moment that they shared and treasured every day for four years. Finally on the last day of school Bennett approached Rose and the two finally took that next step in the love they had felt for years.

The Greatest deals with a lot of different people and how they react to this tragic event in their lives making it impossible for any of them to really be there for the other. The film doesn’t just show us the love between Rose and Bennett, but the love that has been lost between Allen and Grace. They have been torn apart and are in such a terrified and fragile state. Regardless of this, they do find a way back to loving each other and recognize the happiness that they still have through that. The Greatest is a very realistic take on loss. It hit my emotions hard and is definitely the film at Sundance that was the most heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. The Greatest is an emotionally profound tearjerker that will make you feel and relate for every one of the characters in the film. You can’t walk away from this movie unaffected. Still, you won’t be walking away depressed either. It is astonishing for such a tragic and sad subject, it still offers some hope and goodness throughout the darkness.

Starring: Jeff Daniels, Lauren Graham, Lou Taylor Pucci, Olivia Thirlby, Kat Dennings
Written & Directed By: John Hindman
Grade: B

Arlen Faber is a romantic comedy packed with flawed, but deep down very likable and real characters. The film deals with alcoholism, questioning of faith, and motherhood paranoia. Arlen Faber is a film full of wit and charm alongside some very interesting relationships.

Arlen Faber (Daniels) is the author of the best-selling spirituality book, “God and Me“. It is a highly praised book that countless people over the years have turned to for their answers. There have many books published in response to this book over the years. It has been nearly a decade since Arlen has been out in public. He lives a very secluded life, barely escaping his apartment. The only person he still has any contact with is his ex-wife and previous publishing partner. Arlen has become a very bitter, pessimistic man even towards his ex-wife. He refuses to do any writing or show any support of his previous work even when his publishers are counting on him to do so. He gets loads of fan mail every single day. He has a room designated simply for this where he throws all of the mail in to without even glancing at any of it.

Regardless of all of the inspiration that he has engaged in other people, Arlen has no faith himself. He searches for it in every book possible, but continues failing to find this over and over again. Fed up with these books that do nothing for him he demands his money back from the bookstore he got them from. The owner of the store, Kris (Pucci), has been through a rough time and is finally back at work after his time in rehab. While he was gone, the key to the store was lost and incidentally the store has been closed and no profits have come in while he was gone. Arlen is demanding money back for over 20 books, but Kris has to refuse him as he truly can’t afford it. Arlen doesn’t give up though and resorts to bribing little children to get rid of these books.

Kris is going through a really hard time, he feels like he should be going to AA meetings, but has a difficulty seeing this through. His father is losing it and he feels like he really has no one to talk to. When he runs in to a mailman who knows where the mysterious and very wise, Arlen Faber, lives, he finds him. The two make a deal. For every one of Kris’ questions that Arlen answers Kris will take one of his books back. So the two keep up with this routine nearly every day and start to form a very offbeat relationship through this. One day Arlen gets a reminder of how alone he truly is. He ends up having to crawl through the busy streets until he gets to an orthopedic clinic where he lands on the ground desperate for an emergency appointment. His doctor, Elizabeth (Graham), does wonders for his back, almost making him feel like a new person in more ways then one. He continues having appointments with her and feels like he might actually be forming a connection with this person. The two take things slow, but do begin dating. Elizabeth is very overprotective towards her son, nearly neurotic. Still, she shares this part of her life with Arlen who ends up hitting it off with her son right away. However, when Elizabeth starts to get to know the pessimistic bitter man that Arlen truly is she may not feel the same affection for this man that she once did.

The performances really brought a level of realism, making the characters in to people that anyone could relate to. Jeff Daniels pulls off the miserable hopeless man very well. It is great when Arlen’s relationship with Elizabeth begins to emerge. The small subtle chance for hope radiates through his face and some life comes back in to his body. Even through the bitterness there is plenty of wit and comedy exerted by him that adds a lot of fun to the film. Still his primary role is showing that he can be as clueless as the rest of us, which he shows us wonderfully.

Lauren Graham was admirable as a single parent who had the courage to start her own business and never gave up. She also really wants to be the best mother she can be; wanting to be truly there for her son in every way. One aspect of how overprotecting and fear of anything happening to her son are the scenes where she drops him off at school. She has him latched up in a car seat, although he is much too old for this. Also, this car seat has a million latches and locks to it. Arlen makes a joke about her prepping him for a space launch. When she does let him go she rambles on about being safe and having fun, "but mostly be safe".

In my eyes Lou Taylor Pucci was the brightest star involved in the film. His performance as Kris was the one that really had the biggest impact on me, making me truly care for his character. There were so many struggles Kris faced between his alcoholism, being the person he always promised himself he wouldn’t, and watching his father self-destruct right before his very eyes. Amongst all of this he is trying to find some understanding of life and death and getting his answers from someone who has lost his faith a long time ago. Pucci is a great actor who I believe will only rise from here. Without his storyline, I think this would have been a much lesser film. It’s this part of the film that makes it more multi-dimensional, real, and complete. Kat Dennings had pretty limited screen time, but she still did very well as Kris’ friend and employee at the bookstore. The two are very close and she has seen a dark side of Kris that she never wants to see again. Olivia Thirlby also gave a great supporting performance as Elizabeth’s quirky assistant.

The relationships in the film are one of the most interesting aspects. For the most part Arlen Faber is a very ugly character, especially as our protagonist. That is only normal though, sometimes that is just the way people are and that doesn’t mean that there is no good or happiness desperate to seep through all of the pain, anguish, and distrust. How our characters treat each other and the outcome that has on their lives plays a major role in the film as well. Even though Kris and Arlen only talk to another due to their arrangement there is a slight genuine insight and eventual care that comes through even though most of the time this is very well hidden. Arlen Faber is really about realizing our heroes don’t have all the answers. No one really knows those fundamental questions about life. If they did, they wouldn’t be such pressing questions. All anyone can do is to find and follow what you believe in. How you come to these answers or the logic isn’t important as long as it feels right for you. Arlen Faber does this by examining life and belief through very different characters with such emotion and understanding. They all have their problems and weakness, but this is what makes them so human and relatable to their audience.

William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe
USA, 2009, 85min., color
Genre: Documentary
Directors: Emily Kunstler, Sarah Kunstler
Executive Producer: Vanessa Wanger
Producers: Jesse Moss, Susan Korda
Cinematographer: Brett Wiley
Editor: Emily Kunstler
Music: Shahzad Ismaily


The title of the film comes from T.S. Eliot’s poem, The Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock. At the end of his life, many of Kunstler’s speeches were entreaties to young people to have the courage to take action for change. He frequently spoke about Michelangelo’s statue of David as embodying the moment when a person must choose to stand up or to fade into the crowd and lead an unexceptional life. He also recited parts of Eliot’s poem, where Prufrock wonders if he “dare disturb the universe.”

For liberals, radicals and reactionaries that consciously lived through America’s legal and social history of 1960 through the early 1990’s, William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe is a trip back. For those who were born or grew up after, it is an eye opening history of how we got to where we are today as well as how the current state of ‘court as theatre” came to be and the rational that justifies it. Through interviews and archival material, the life of Kustler as well as the legal and emotional battles he fought through much of his life is recounted. Hero or villain, you cannot help to be impressed with the man’s single minded idealism.

However, the film is also a psycho analytic exercise for the daughters, who are also the filmmakers, he had late in life with his second wife, Margaret Ratner, Using voice over, they reflect throughout about their own angst and confusion with their father’s choices and lifestyle. Thus the film devolves into a self indulgent exercise in public exorcising of personal childhood demons for two girls, who were only eighteen and sixteen when their father died over Labor Day weekend in September, 1994. A plot we are all too familiar with thanks to unreality-reality television and Jerry Springer.

As a history of William Kustler and the United States justice system, the story is riveting and well told. As a phycological exercise it is uncomfortable and distracting. Emily and Sarah would like to think we should care about their story for 85 minutes when in fact we only care about William. Theirs is only a minor subplot and should have been left as such. Marred as it is, William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe is still a worthwhile and well crafted history of American jurist prudence and should be seen. Three stars.

Thriller in Manila
United Kingdom, 2008, 108min., color
Genre: Documentary
Director/Screenwriter: John Dower
Executive Producers: John Smithson, Elinor Day
Producer: John Dower
Cinematographer: Stephen Standen
Picture Editors: Nicholas Packer, Kate Spankie


Joe Frasier and Muhammad Ali fought three times. Their first highly anticipated encounter was dubbed the “fight of the century” before either boxer entered the ring. Gut it was their third and final confrontation on October 1, 1975, in the Philippines, that cemented their rivalry as one of history’s greatest.

What’s remarkable about Thriller in Manila is how dramatically it conveys both the depths of the rivalry as well as the complex racial politics of the time. Using extensive archival footage and interviews, the story is told from Frasier’s point of view. What emerges is not only a very different take on the rivalry, but on the racially charged environment in the United States at the time. Director John Dower takes a time that many of us have long ago put to bed and puts a new and disturbing spin on it. In so doing he repaints the otherwise stellar image of Ali, as an anti-war and civil rights leader, into one of opportunist, showman and narcissist willing to do anything and hurt anyone to promote himself and stay in the spotlight. A must see. Four stars.

The Glass House
USA/Iran, 2008, 92min., color
Farsi with English Subtitles
Genre: Documentary
Director/Cinematographer/Editor: Hamid Rahmanian
Screenwriter/Producer: Melissa Hibbard
Composer: David Bergeaud
Sound: Paul Longstaffe, Christopher, Harvengt




The Glass House skillfully examines the mostly hidden lives of young women, teetering on the fringes of Iranian society in modern Tehran. Marginalized by their families, these women have found a saving grace in the day center formed by an Iranian expatriate. Marjaneh Halati opened the center to give downtrodden young women a voice, thus empowering them with life skills they need to succeed on their own. Many of these teens previously have spent time in jail, hospital, or state home because they had no other option.


In superb cinema-verite style spanning 18 months, the film portrays a spirit of hopefulness. Former victims are given a chance to express themselves, in a society where self expression especially for women is frowned upon, and in many ways outlawed. The girls are given a chance to transform their difficult circumstances into new beginnings, counseled on how to placate the violent men in their lives and at the same time empower themselves for economic independence. Not all succeed and the use and extent of drug abuse is both disturbing and thought provoking.


No less fascinating is the subplot of The Glass House. The urban decay of Iranian society under the Ayatollahs is addressed visually as well as the toll that orthodox Iranian society has taken on its men. Without opportunity, hope and the right of free speech, they take their frustration out verbally and physically on the women in their lives, mostly wives and daughters. At the same time, we are treated to a look at the Iranian people. Behind the nuclear rhetoric of their president, we learn to care about these people, to relate to their problems and to be concerned about their plight. There is a strong parallel here to the violence against women perpetrated by men in the United States. Especially by ethnic men frustrated by a system that they feel discriminates against them and makes it impossible to adequately care for their families. A well edited powerful indictment. Four stars.

The Cove
Denmark, 2008, 90min., color
Genre: Documentary
Director: Louie Psihoyos
Screenwriter: Mark Monroe
Executive Producer: Jim Clark
Producers: Fisher Stevens, Paula DuPre Pesmen
Coproducer: Olivia Ahneman
Editor: Geoffrey Richman


In the 1960’s Richard O’Barry was the world’s leading authority on dolphin training, working on the set of the popular television show Flipper. Day in and day out, O’Barry kept the dolphins working and the TV audiences smiling. But one day that all came to a tragic end. The Cove, directed by Louie Shoos, tells the true story of how Shoos, O’Barry and elite team of activists, filmmakers and free-divers embarked on a covert mission to penetrate a hidden cove in the town of Taiji, Japan, protected by both local and national government officials, that captures some dolphins for “sea worlds”, slaughters the rest, butchers the meat and then distributes the mercury tainted steaks and fillets to school children and consumers throughout Japan mislabeled as whale meat. Along the way, they record how they are threatened with arrest, prosecution, expulsion and physical violence. In addition, lies and distortion of facts by Japans representative to the International Whaling Commission are examined and exposed.

This is the highest example I have seen of activist journalism in quite some time. The risks taken, the quality of film produced and the story line written and edited are nothing short of awe-inspiring. A classic in its sub-genre. A must see for anyone who cares about our future and our children’s future on this planet. It is frightening to see first hand how a government can distort, manipulate and suppress. Particularly in this age of irradiated food, animal cloning and global warming Makes no difference if you are liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican. At all costs, see this feature documentary. Five stars.

The Carter
USA, 2009, 80min., color
Genre: Documentary
Director/Cinematographer/Screenwriter: Adam Bhala Lough
Executive Producer: Quincy Jones III
Producers: Adam Bhala Lough, Josh Krause
Editor: Andy Grieve
Composer: Dwayne “Lil Wayne” Carter


"Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." -- Charlie "Bird" Parker, Great Jazz Saxman

EVERY generation creates its own music. Years ago, the acclaimed Black writer, Richard Wright wrote, in his 12 Million Black Voices (Viking, 1941): "Our blues, jazz, swing and boogie-woogie are our 'spirituals' of the city pavement, our longing for freedom and opportunity, an expression of our bewilderment and despair in a world whose meaning eludes us... " (128) When rap music arrived on the scene, it came like a crazy uncle; loud, unkempt, and uninvited, yet still family. It came like a bastard son; brash, loud and blazing with color, daring to be ignored. It ripped out into the world, gnawing and snarling and howling its way into consciousness. For many of middle-aged character, it could not be more unwelcome. For when it crashed the corporate party in the 1980s, it tore into the sweet, comfortable, purple haze raised by the era we now like to forget: disco. Disco was the electrification, computerization, prettify-cation, and de-escalation of a quickening social consciousness that was trending in urban music. It was the commoditization of R & B and funk, by sweetening its bark and bite. When reggae was jumping real strong, the "B" sides of many hits featured orchestration without lyrics. Savvy Jamaican DJs began creating their own lines to flow with the rhythmic backbeats and drumming, and toasting was born. Reggae, ska, mento and calypso have always had a powerful tradition of biting (yet humorous!) critiques of the haves vs. the have-nots. That spirit of socio-political criticism was heard by African-Americans who shared their neighborhoods in Queens, Flatbush, Bed-Sty, South West Philly, Roxbury, with West Indians. That spirit passed over, and for many youngsters, it was more attractive than the champale-sweet of disco. It was more real. As their elders and their ancestors before them, this generation produced and created a music form to fit their lived reality. If it was raw, that's because life was naked and raw. If it was angry, that's because anger is a natural reply to repression. Only when big corporate music interests became involved did it begin to mellow, for, marketing forces seek to erase that which is controversial, to insure a wider audience (meaning consumer base)--Excerpted from RAP'S ROOTS By Mumia Abu-Jamal

Director Adam Bhala Lough delivers a shockingly intimate portrait of one the most inspired musicians of our time. Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. aka Lil Wayne, an internationally known rapper, , his most recent album went platinum in one week. The Carter is an intoxicating, cinematic journey into the thoughts and world of an extremely complicated man whose creative force is something to behold. He never stops recording. He has a portable studio that he carries around in a black bag, and it allows him to lay down a track anytime and anywhere. It is his pressure valve and makes him a refreshing anomaly in a sea of manufactured prefab “singers.” His work is his own: unfiltered, uncensored, raw and powerful.

Whether you like rap music or not, it is a part of the fabric of our lives. If you want to understand it, really understand it, see The Carter. Mesmerizing and disturbing. Five stars.

Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech
USA, 2008, 74min., color
Genre: Documentary
Director: Liz Garbus
Executive Producers: Sheila Nevins, Nancy Abraham
Producers: Liz Garbus, Rory Kennedy, Jed Rothstein
Coproducer/Editor: Karen K.H. Sim
Cinematographer: Tom Hurwitz
Composer: Miriam Cutler


“If large numbers of people are interested in freedom of speech, there will be freedom of speech, even if the law forbids it; if public opinion is sluggish, inconvenient minorities will be persecuted, even if the laws exist to protect them.”—George Orwell

Most Americans believe the First Amendment is sacred and inviolate, but not since the 1950’s has it been under such attack—from both the right and the left. In Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech, filmmaker Liz Garbus explores the current state of free speech in America as well as the fascinating historical perspective. Garbus’s father, First Amendment attorney Martin Garbus, serves as the tour-guide through this perilous landscape.

Through contemporary cases dealing with the complex issue of limits on free speech—offensive speech, school speech, wartime speech – Shouting Fire examines the balancing act between protecting both civil liberties and national security in a post-9/11 world, and asks whether all speech is equally free. These difficult questions are at the heart of what defines America and makes it unique as a republic.

Well crafted and well thought out, this timely film creates an enormous amount of tension as Liz Garbus directs us through the rocky shoals of the First Amendment. Illuminating and thought provoking, she illustrates the tenuous threads that our fledging Republic rests on in a fast moving 74 minutes. Garbus reminds us that free speech is not simply a matter of Democrats versus Republicans because it is ultimately in the province of the Courts to rule on First Amendment issues. Yet the current, largely conservative composition of the Supreme Court will hold sway over free speech issues for years to come—which is in many ways a historically unprecedented situation. This is a must see for all ages, but especially high school and college students. Four stars.

Sergio
USA/Iran, 2008, 94min., color
Genre: Documentary
Director: Greg Barker
Executive Producers: Samantha Power, Sheila Nevins, Nick Frasier
Producers: John Battsek, Julie Goldman
Editor: Karen Schmeer
Website: www.sergiothemovie.com


Based upon the biography Chasing the Flame by Samantha Power, Sergio is the story of the United Nations go-to guy who was murdered by a terrorist bomb at U.N. Headquarters in Baghdad, in 2003. Considered by many to be a cross between James Bond and Bobby Kennedy, Sergio Viera de Mello could descend into the most dangerous places, charm the worst war criminals, and somehow protect the lives of the ordinary people to whom he had devoted his life. Newly engaged, he was looking forward to settling down with the co-worker and women of he loved. Then came the call. Persuaded by Kofi Annan, Condoleezza Rice and Tony Blair, he reluctantly took up the post of U.N. ambassador to Iraq.

Filmmaker Greg Barker gives us only little of the background and history of Sergio. Preferring instead to focus most of the screens time on the days immediately leading up to and the day of the bombing that killed Sergio and shocked the world. Devastating, disturbing and powerful, Sergio is buried alive in the blast and we watch and listen as his fiancé and military paramedics recount how they tried to extricate him and save life.

You cannot help being angry at the end of this film. However the style and feel is more akin to that used for television news stories on 60 minutes, and not a feature –length documentary film. Nevertheless it is worth seeing. Heart felt, thought provoking and upsetting. Three and a half stars.

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Rough Aunties
United Kingdom, 2008, 104min., color
Zulu with English subtitles
Genre: Documentary
Director: Kim Longinotto
Executive Producer: Peter Dale
Producers: Teddy Leifer, Paul Taylor
Associate Producer: Rebecca Lloyd-Evans
Editor: Ollie Hudleston
Sound: Mary Milton
Website: www.roughaunties.com


Jackie, Mildred, Eureka and Thuli are the women behind Bobbi Bear, a nonprofit organization based in Durban, South Africa, that counsels sexually abused children and works to bring their abusers to justice. Born out of recognition of cultural stigmas that discourage reporting abuse and inadequate methods of communicating with young victims, Bobbi Bear developed a method of letting children use teddy bears to explain their abuse. Since 1992, the multiracial staff has become the fearless and powerful voice for those victims who would otherwise continue to live in fear, powerless against their oppressors and ignored by the legal system.

The subject matter of this non-fiction film is powerful and well done. No less fascinating is the relationship between the Zulu and Afrikaner women of Bobbi Bear. United in their anger and pain, they transcend cultural differences to do a hard and necessary job. There is much to compare culturally with communication styles between women in the United States. Stoic Black women who have been taught to be tough and suppress their feelings, and by connection their voice, compared to white women taught to relate to emotions and take every opportunity to share their feelings. The journey these women take together is both painful and hopeful as they strive for empowerment for their young victims and themselves. Compelling non-fiction story telling. Very well crafted. Four Stars.

Starring: Uma Thurman, Anthony Edwards, Minnie Driver
Written & Directed By: Katherine Diekmann
Grade: C+

Oddly enough the film at Sundance that I felt portrayed the true meaning of motherhood best was actually the vampiric horror drama, Grace. Motherhood will likely work for some who can understand the hectic nature, but it feels a bit one note at times. It is a decent movie that has a very chaotic tone that works with the situation to a certain extent, but ultimately holds the film back.

Eliza (Thurman), a mother of two, has a very crazy day in front of her. She has a massive list of things she has to get done, most of which revolve around her children. It is her daughter’s birthday so she has to get the party ready as well. She still needs to get decorations, the cake, and several other things. Also, she regularly blogs every day about what her day is like. When she does this she finds an opportunity to get paid to blog if she can turn in an essay about what motherhood means to her by the end of the day. During the day she also has to take care of her son as well since he is not in school yet. So the question is whether or not Eliza can get done everything her kids need her to as well as getting her writing done for herself. She used to be a writer professionally, but it has been quite a long time since she has been able to write. Eliza is hoping this will be her opportunity to get back in to it. Eliza’s car ends up getting towed since they are filming on her block. Now she has to ride her bike back and forth for all of the errands she still needs to get done to get ready for the party. Her husband is no help at all and puts everything on her shoulders. Throughout the day, things just seem to be piling up more and more, driving her sanity away further.

Uma Thurman did pretty well with what she was given, although I think her character could have been developed a lot more. She does work with all of the crisis well and is believable as Eliza. Minnie Driver gave the best performance as Eliza’s best friend. She added some much needed comic relief and had great energy and charisma. Even the way she delivered her dialogue helped give the film a more comedic and light hearted tone. Anthony Edwards does pretty well as the neglecting husband. He does pin a lot of the responsibility on his wife, but shows a caring side to him as well. Jodie Foster has a quick cameo as the mother of one of the kids that goes to the same school as Thurman’s child. The paparazzi swarms around her as she shows plenty of attitude.

There is a certain amount of humor in how hectic and overwhelming things are, but it is played up for most of the movie and the joke doesn’t stay fresh through all of this time. The film does have its’ funny moments, particularly when Eliza is at the store getting things for her daughters party. It shows retail hell and how aggravating people can be at the worst times. When Eliza comes back with her overwhelmingly number of bags, a young man helps Eliza with the bags. There are very interesting interactions between the two. The boy talks to her about her writing and her life. He helps bring out that inner youth, joy, and independence in her just in the very brief moments that he is in the film. He stood out as one of the most powerful characters and actors in the film. I really wish they would have done more with this as it could made up for that missing element that was just barely holding the film back.

Mothers will probably be able to enjoy this movie more than those who aren’t, just for that relating quality, being able to compare it to moments in their own lives where things became this crazy and overwhelming. I found it amusing and I did feel for Eliza to an extent, wanting her to be a good mother as well as do something for herself. One of the biggest problems is that Eliza’s big triumph seemed so minuscule and a weak conclusion. Personally, I didn’t feel like it gave Eliza a chance to grow, but I suppose the point is life changes and little rewards through family and passions can be more rewarding than solely your own success. 

Starring: Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch, Parker Posey, Amber Tambyln, Jane Lynch, Seth Myers

Written & Directed By: Ryan Shiraki

Grade: B+

Rachel Dratch and writer/director, Ryan Shiraki, got together to create Spring Breakdown after realizing the lack of good comedy roles for women. The main cast is almost entirely female. Each of the all star actresses involved use their comedic charm to work off each other, making this a hilarious and very fun film to watch.

Judi (Dratch), Gayle (Poehler), and Becky (Posey) were far from being popular in high school. At least they had each other though and as hard as not fitting in was they just told themselves that this was the popular kid’s peak. They would end up miserable after high school and Judi, Gayle, and Becky would have it all. We see a shot of three attractive and successful women, and walking behind them are our 3 main characters who are about at the same social stature that they were in high school. Gayle is a teacher, a dog teacher anyway. Judi is planning her wedding with her fiancé, William (Myers), and she can’t be more thrilled to be getting married. However, when she comes home from work early one day, she finds William being intimately massaged by a shirtless man. She calls off the wedding and has to face the hard truth that the man she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with is gay. Becky is an environmentalist and really wants to make a difference in the world. Right now she is an assistant to Senator Kay Bee Hartmann (Lynch). There has been a major scandal with the President and they are looking for someone with a clean record. Senator Hartmann might have a shot at the Presidency if she can keep what she believes is her out of control, sorority daughter, Ashley (Tambyln), under control long enough.

Becky hopes that if she can do a good job with this assignment than hopefully she can rise up and get a position where she can better make an impact. In order to go on Spring Break in South Padre, TX, where Ashley will be, she has to cancel a woman’s appreciation road trip with her friends.After Judi’s breakup and Gayle getting blown off by a blind man for having too ugly of a face, she decides that they could all use a vacation to have some real fun. When they get to their hotel it is full of trash, people passed out everywhere, and those continuing to drink until they do pass out. Their room itself has panties left behind, used condoms, and is completely grotesque.

Trying to find Ashley, they go to a party at a club that night. Gayle sees a few horny guys who don’t seem to be able to take no for an answer from the girls they are hitting on. Gayle talks to them like she does the dogs she works with and gets rid of them. A popular group of girls called “The Sevens” are so impressed by this and end up becoming friends with Gayle. They give her a make-over and skankify her. Pretty soon she becomes an easy, shallow, binge drinker who stays out all night, waking up around a group of strangers, and lays on the beach all day again before doing it all again. She is so thrilled that she is training her girls for a talent show in hopes that unlike in high school, this might be one she could actually win.

Judi gets drunk as well one night and wakes up next to a young, attractive man, assuming she had sex with him. For the rest of the trip, she makes several comments to him approaching him as if they were in a relationship when he clearly has no idea who she is. When Becky finds Ashley she becomes friends with her so she can keep a closer eye on her. She finds out that Ashley is not the wild child that her mother thinks she is. She is actually pretty dorky as a theater and medieval enthusiast. She has just lost her boyfriend who seems to like The Sevens much more than her. She is determined to change and be the girl that this guy could fall for again. Throughout this as well is some interference from Becky. Ashley ends up getting in much more trouble than she would have ever gotten in to normally. Meanwhile, Judi and Gayle have to question the lifestyle they have been living and who they really are.

The cast really made this film so entertaining to watch. I can’t remember seeing Rachel Dratch  had some great material struggling in her relationship with her clearly gay fiancé and acting like she was in a relationship with a guy who looked like an Abercrombie and Fitch model. With Seth Meyers, she gives out a great oblivious vibe towards him as if he is speaking another language. Seth Myers was hilarious in these scenes as well. His character represents the laziness of the internet generation where we have to shorten everything we type. He abbreviates every word though in normal conversation, and I mean every single world he says throughout the whole movie. Between that and trying to act like he really isn’t gay, despite the clear evidence, being completely dumbfounded by everything he says seems to be the only reaction you could have towards him. The scenes with Dratch and her mystery one night stand man were extremely funny as well. His reactions are priceless, which just makes Dratch’s heartfelt language towards him all the more strange.

Amy Poehler uses her trademark attitude here as Gayle, particularly as the made over Gayle, the type of person she hated in high school. She is very funny as the second version of herself and just how her interactions change is amusing. Still, some of her funniest moments were those where she treated men like dogs and essentially was her true self. She was so bright and funny as her dorky self that you couldn’t help but love that person. Parker Posey probably played the dorkiest of the three friends and certainly the one who was happiest being this way.

Jane Lynch was hilarious as usual as the tough, gun loving, senator. The way she intimidated Posey’s character was particularly entertaining. I’m really glad Amber Tamblyn took on the role of Ashley. There is this very youthful characteristic here and she almost looks younger than much younger characters she has played in the past. There is an incredible energy that she shows. Tamblyn is a lot like a younger version of Posey’s character. She has such a joy in things that most people would look down on. The difference is that she is letting one guy tell her that it is something she should be ashamed of. She struggles with how to change in to an ideal image, but in the end gains the courage to simply be herself. It was also quite a joy to see Sarah Hagan, who played one of the quirkiest geek girls, Milly, on Freaks and Geeks. She played a pretty similar character, appalled by the actions of the popular. Laguna Beach’s Kristin Cavalleri had a small role in this as well. I never thought she would be in a film this good, but she only had two lines and was essentially playing herself so it wasn't any huge stretch. Leslie Grossman from What I Like About You and Missy Pyle were pretty funny as a few of the constantly trashed women too who weren't simply on spring break like most of the college kids.

Spring Breakdown is about taking a walk on the wild side to see how good your life is as is. It’s about staying true to yourself even if it takes you awhile to see that is the person you really want to be. The ending with Ashley and her mother isn’t 100% believable, but it works and brings out this theme in doing so. Of course, the talent show that we see at the end is just as priceless as the one we see of the three girl’s in high school in the beginning. The characters are a ton of fun. There is a lot of creativity with the level of dorkiness in these characters that makes them completely loveable. Seeing them as such opposites through moments during the film is like a very entertaining experiment with no idea of where things are going to go next. There are so many priceless moments in the film that make it most funny especially through the obscurity of situations. As of now it’s set to go straight to DVD, but they are looking for further distribution. I really hope it ends up going to theaters, since I think this will be a real crowd pleaser for audiences that deserves to be seen rather than get lost on DVD.

Reporter
USA, 2008, 92min., color
Genre: Documentary
Director/Cinematographer/Editor: Eric Daniel Metzger
Executive Producer: Ben Affleck
Producers: Mikaela Beardsley, Steven Cantor
Original Music: Eric Liebman
Sound Recordist: Gautam Choudhury
EIC: Terry Clark
Narrator: Eric Daniel Metzger


Reporter is about Nicholas Kristof, the two-time Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for the New York Times, whose provoking editorial columns have helped move the international media spotlight on humanitarian crisis around the world. The film offers insights into how the celebrated writer connects with readers by searching for individuals, whose intimate stories capture their country’s desperate crisis, thereby mobilizing readers worldwide. His writings on the genocide in Darfur helped propel the humanitarian crisis into the national conversation and here, he hopes to do the same for The Congo—a certifiable disaster area where 5.4 million have died in the last decade as a result of unceasing warfare over territory, resources and tribal hatred. Keenly aware that broad statistics numb his readers’ interest and compassion, Kristoff and two young travelers search for that one transcendent story that will connect with the hearts and minds of people in the world outside. Along the way, the reporter and his crew trek through ravaged villages and displacement camps and make a harrowing visit to Congo’s reigning rebel warlord, General Nkunda, at his jungle hideout.

Eric Daniel Metzgar’s examination of Nicholas Kristof is honest and revealing. Not content to delve deeper into his subject, Metzgar attempts to create a ceaseless, multilayered exploration of journalism, Congo, war, suffering and a world in chaos. Along the way he seems to indulge in the very mistakes that Kristof counsels against, overloading your audience. No less a figure than Alfred Hitchcock has said that if you want to build tension and suspense you have to break it up with comedy in order to prevent your audience from becoming numb. Mr. Metzger must have been absent that day.

Using the short-form field camera style made current again in the opening of Saving Private Ryan (1998) combined with numerous gratuitous fast motion sequences, we are bombarded with images. So much so that we have to expend energy defending against his over indulgent self reflexive style. I have written previously about how film is a derivative art form and collaborative by nature. Here, as in his previous two feature documentaries, Metzger wears four hats. I have not seen his first two, but in Reporter it does not work. At the very least he would have benefited from a separate editor to bring another eye to the material and clean it up a bit. With Ben Affleck as EP, I cannot imagine money was the issue. Still worth while seeing for the material. Three stars.

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Over the Hills and Far Away
USA, 2008, 94min., color
Genre: Documentary
Director: Michel Orion Scott
Producer: Rupert Isaacson
Cinematographer: Jeremy Bailey
Editor: Rita K Sanders
Assistant Editor: Michelle Green
Composers: Lili Haydn, Kim Carroll
Sound Recordist: Justin Hennard
Website: www.overthehillsmovie.com


Over the Hills and Far Away explores one family’s journey as they take their autistic five year old son Rowan to Ulaanbaatar and travel on horseback, searching for the elusive reindeer herders and the most powerful shaman in the country. We meet the Isaacson’s, Rupert a British journalist and human-rights activist and Kristin a psychology professor from suburban California, as their perfect life together begins to fall apart. They try conventional therapies, diets and medication, all to no avail. However, Rupert had witnessed the potency of traditional healing and discovered that his son has a special bond with horses. He researched and found a place that combined horseback riding and shamanic healing—Mongolia.

The film unfolds as a very personal story, at times uncomfortably so, and travelogue of the Isaacson’s travels and travails as regards their son Rowan and his autism. At times you feel like you are watching the Travel Channel, at times a reality styled soap opera. The story unspools with little drama but you watch because it is so personal and painful you would feel guilty to leave. The payoff comes at the end. No, they do not find a cause or a cure for Rowan’s autism, but they do find relief for him of many of the symptoms. Especially those having to do with potty training, fits and socialization. The dramatic difference is remarkable. For those directly or indirectly affected with autism this is a five star must see. For the rest, three stars will do.

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El General
Mexico/USA, 2008, 83min., color
Spanish with English subtitles
Genre: Documentary
Director: Natalia Almada
Producers: Daniel Alatorre, Natalia Almada
Cinematographer: Chuy Chavez
Music: Shahzad Ismaily, John Zorn
Sound Design: Alejandro de Icaza


Five years ago director Natalia Almada was given six hours of audio-tape recordings that her grandmother had made about her life. These were the genesis of El General, titled after her great-grandfather, El General Plutarco Elias Calles, a general in the Mexican revolution who was president from 1924 to 1928. Adored and hated, he was exiled from Mexico in 1936 and came back to die there about ten years later.

This was a great premise for a feature length documentary. Unfortunately for Almada, her grandmother didn’t leave her much that was particularly revealing about her father except on a very personal and subjective level. Therefore she tries to combine these tapes with archival film records, still pictures and articles about Calles to reveal a hypnotic and deeply compassionate portrait of the Mexican people and the forces that have shaped their lives. She is only partially successful. Without giving us background from 1810 when Mexico waged its war of Independence from Spain as well as an understanding of the culture formed by the Conquistadores and native Indian tribes prior to that, we start in the middle of the big story and are expected to know the rest. This is a mistake. I happen to have studied Mexican history but most Americans, most people, and have not. Therefore Almada leaves us with the impression that Mexican culture today has a direct cause and effect related only to the Presidential power struggles and assassinations that occurred in the 1910’s 20’s and 30’s and nothing else.

This is a feature documentary that has lost its way. It is good to see this much archival material tied together in one film, but it feels like window dressing to the story that the director wanted to tell but couldn’t from the tapes that her grandmother left her. Clean, extremely well edited, wonderful music and very good technically with some very interesting interviews, it still isn’t compelling or historical enough. In a description of the film, Director Almada says, “As Mexicans, we remain silent behind our festive masks. We laugh at our irreconcilable contradictions and accept our condition as ‘fate’ or ‘bad luck’, afraid to examine our history too closely. El General moves between my grandmother’s fractured memoires of my father and my meanderings through Mexico City.” Unfortunately this film is a meander too. Two stars.

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Art & Copy
USA, 2008, 89min., color
Genre: Documentary
Director: Doug Pray
Executive Producers: David Baldwin, Gregory Beauchamp, Kirk Souder, Mary Warlick
Producers: Jimmy Greenway, Michael Nadeau
Cinematographer: Peter Nelson
Editor: Philip Owens
EIC: Terry Clark
Music: Jeff Martin
Contact: Michael Nadeau, mnadeau@artindustry.com


Art & Copy reveals the stories behind, and the personal odysseys of, some of the most influential advertising visionaries of our time and their campaigns. Among them were Apple Computer (1984), iPod, Nike (Just Do It!), Clairol’s “me generation”, and the original MTV and Tommy Hilfiger ads.

Directed by Doug Pray, Art & Copy provides a window into the creative energy and passion behind the iconic campaigns that have had a profound impact on American culture. Featuring rare interviews with industry legends, the film seeks to identify the elements that transform a slogan into a popular culture catch phrase. Also shown are the ads themselves. I rare trip back into some of the best television ever produced.

With a BA in Sociology and an MFA in Cinematic Arts, Doug Pray uniquely captures the essence of subcultures as ferociously as Frederick Wiseman; [TITICUT FOLLIES (1967) HIGH SCHOOL (1968)] captures public institutions. More familiar documenting the places of people living on the edges of 9 to 5, mainstream society, Pray visits this time with the creative giants of the advertising business and finds they have more in common with his previous subjects than he or we could have imagined. Focusing on the genesis of that rare 2% of great advertising that moves us and transcends commerce, Pray uses a disciplined artistic approach to answer the questions: Who are these people? What makes them do what they do? Shot over four years, his questions are answered…and then some. Four stars.

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Burma VJ
Denmark, 2008, 85min., color
English and Burmese with English subtitles
Genre: Documentary
Director: Anders Ostergaard
Screenwriters: Anders Ostergaard, Jan Krogsgaard
Executive Producer/Producer: Lise Lense-Moller
Coproducers: Fredrik Gertten, Torstein Nyboe
Cinematographer: Simon Plum
Editors: Janus Billeskov Jansen, Thomas Papapetros
Composer: Conny Malmqvist
Sound Editor: Martin Hennel
Contact: Lise Lense-Moller, llm@magichourfilms.dk
Website: www.burmavj.com


Armed with small handy-cams, undercover Video Journalists in Burma keep up the flow of news from their closed country. Going beyond the occasional news clip from Burma, director Anders Ostergaard brings us closer to the VJ’s who deliver the footage. Though risking torture, life in prison, or death, these courageous young people live the essence of journalism as they insist on keeping up the flow of news form their closed country. Their material is smuggled from the streets of Rangoon, out of the country and broadcast back into Burma via satellite and offered as free usage for international media. The whole world has had the opportunity watched single event clips made by the VJ’s, but for the very first time, their individual images have been carefully assembled and now tell a much bigger story.

Burma VJ offers a unique insight into high-risk journalism and dissidence in a police state, while at the same time providing a through documentation of the historical and dramatic days of September, 2007, when the Buddhist monks stated marching. A riveting and remarkable film. It should be watched by everyone. When we protest in the United States, we rarely worry about torture and death. These young VJ’s worry about it every day. Just to be able to have what we take for granted, democracy and free speech. See it! Five stars.

Today we were sent over the press release for the winners of the Sundance Film Festival that took place this year. Kelsey has been posting her reviews the past few days and Mathius's reviews are coming throughout this week. The winners are below, copied and pasted from the press release that was sent.


The 2009 Sundance Film Festival Award Winners:

The Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Documentary was presented to We Live in Public,directed by Ondi Timoner. The film portrays the story of the Internet's revolutionary impact on human interaction as told through the eyes of maverick web pioneer, Josh Harris, and his transgressive art project that shocked New York.

The Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Dramatic was presented to Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire, directed by Lee Daniels and written by Damien Paul. The film tells the redemptive story of Precious Jones, a young girl in Harlem struggling to overcome tremendous obstacles and discover her own voice.


The World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to Rough Aunties, directed by Kim Longinotto. Fearless, feisty and unwavering, the 'Rough Aunties' protect and care for the abused, neglected and forgotten children of Durban, South Africa. United Kingdom

The World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to The Maid (La Nana), directed by Sebastián Silva. When her mistress brings on another servant to help with the chores, a bitter and introverted maid wreaks havoc on the household. Chile

The Audience Awards are presented to both a dramatic and documentary film in four Competition categories as voted by Sundance Film Festival audiences. The 2009 Sundance Film Festival Audience Awards are presented by Honda.


The Audience Award presented by Honda: U.S. Documentary was presented to The Cove, directed by Louie Psihoyos. The horrors of a secret cove nestled off a small, coastal village in Japan are revealed by a group of activists.

The Audience Award presented by Honda: U.S. Dramatic was presented to Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire, directed by Lee Daniels and written by Damien Paul. The film tells the redemptive story of Precious Jones, a young girl in Harlem struggling to overcome tremendous obstacles and discover her own voice.

The World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary was presented to Afghan Star, directed by Havana Marking. After 30 years of war and Taliban rule, Pop Idol has come to television in Afghanistan: millions are watching and voting for their favorite singer. Marking's film follows the dramatic stories of four contestants as they risk their lives to sing. Afghanistan/United Kingdom

The World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic was presented to An Education, directed by Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by Nick Hornby. In the early 60s, a sharp 16-year-old with sights set on Oxford meets a handsome older man whose sophistication enraptures and sidetracks both her and her parents.United Kingdom

Directing Awards recognize excellence in directing for dramatic and documentary features.

The Directing Award: U.S. Documentary was presented to El General and director Natalia Almada. As great-granddaughter of President Plutarco Eliás Calles, one of Mexico's most controversial revolutionary figures, the filmmaker paints an intimate portrait of Mexico.

The Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to Sin Nombre, written and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. Filmmaker Fukunaga's first-hand experiences with Mexican immigrants seeking the promise of the U.S. form the basis of this epic Spanish-language dramatic thriller.

The World Cinema Directing Award: Documentary was presented to Afghan Star, directed by Havana Marking. After 30 years of war and Taliban rule, Pop Idol has come to television in Afghanistan: millions are watching and voting for their favorite singer. Marking's film follows the dramatic stories of four contestants as they risk their lives to sing. Afghanistan/United Kingdom

The World Cinema Directing Award: Dramatic was presented to Five Minutes of Heaven, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel from a screenplay by Guy Hibbert. Two men from the same town but from different sides of the Irish political divide discover that the past is never dead. United Kingdom/Ireland

The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award was presented to Nicholas Jasenovec and Charlyne Yi for Paper Heart. Even though performer Charlyne Yi doesn't believe in love, she bravely embarks on a quest to discover its true nature - a journey that takes on surprising urgency when she meets unlikely fellow traveler, actor Michael Cera.

The World Cinema Screenwriting Award was presented to Five Minutes of Heaven, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel from a screenplay by Guy Hibbert. Two men from the same town but from different sides of the Irish political divide discover that the past is never dead. United Kingdom/Ireland

The U.S. Documentary Editing Award was presented to Sergio. Directed by Greg Barker and edited by Karen Schmeer, the film examines the role of the United Nations and the international community through the life and experiences of Sergio Vieira de Mello, the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The World Cinema Documentary Editing Award was presented to Burma VJ. Directed by Anders Østergaard and edited by Janus Billeskov Jansen and Thomas Papapetros. The film takes place in September 2007 as Burmese journalists risk life imprisonment to report from inside their sealed-off country. Denmark

The Excellence in Cinematography Awards honor exceptional cinematography in both dramatic and documentary categories.

The Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Documentary was presented to The September Issue. With unprecedented access, director R.J. Cutler, cinematographer Bob Richman and their crew shot for nine months to capture editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and her team preparing the 2007 Vogue September issue, widely accepted as the "fashion bible" for the year's trends.

The Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to Sin Nombre, written and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. Cinematographer: Adriano Goldman. Filmmaker Fukunaga's first-hand experiences with Mexican immigrants seeking the promise of the U.S. form the basis of this epic Spanish-language dramatic thriller.

The World Cinema Cinematography Award: Documentary was presented to Big River Man, John Maringouin's documentary about at an overweight, wine-swilling Slovenian world-record-holding endurance swimmer who resolves to brave the mighty Amazon in nothing but a Speedo. U.S.A./United Kingdom

The World Cinema Cinematography Award: Dramatic was presented to An Education, directed by Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by Nick Hornby. Cinematographer: John De Borman. In the early 1960s, a sharp 16-year-old girl with sights set on Oxford meets a handsome older man whose sophistication enraptures and sidetracks both her and her parents. United Kingdom

A World Cinema Special Jury Prize for Originality was presented to Louise-Michel, directed by Benoit Delépine and Gustave de Kervern, about a group of disgruntled female French factory workers who, after the factory abruptly closes, pool their paltry compensation money to hire a hit man to knock off the corrupt executive behind the closure. France
A World Cinema Special Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to Tibet in Song directed by Ngawang Choephel. Through the story of Tibetan music, this film depicts the determined efforts of Tibetan people, both in Tibet and in exile, to preserve their unique cultural identity. Choephel served six years of an 18-year prison sentence for filming in Tibet. Tibet
A World Cinema Special Jury Prize for Acting was presented to Catalina Saavedra for her portrayal of a bitter and introverted maid in The Maid (La Nana). Chile
A Special Jury Prize: U.S. Documentary was presented to Good Hair, directed by Jeff Stilson, in which comedian Chris Rock travels the world to examine the culture of African-American hair and hairstyles.

A Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Independence was presented to Humpday, Lynn Shelton's farcical comedy about straight male bonding gone a little too far.

A Special Jury Prize for Acting was presented to Mo'Nique for her portrayal of a mentally ill mother who both emotionally and physically imprisons her daughter in Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire.

The 2009 Jury Prize in U.S. Short Filmmaking was awarded to: Short Term 12, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. The jury also presented the International Jury Prize in International Short Filmmaking to Lies, directed by Jonas Odell. Honorable Mentions in Short Filmmaking were presented to The Attack of the Robots from Nebula-5, directed by Chema Garcia Ibarra; Protect You + Me, directed by Brady Corbet; Western Spaghetti, directed by PES; Jerrycan, directed by Julius Avery; Love You More, directed by Sam Taylor-Wood, I Live in the Woods, directed by Max Winston, Omelette, directed by Nadejda Koseva; and Treevenge, directed by Jason Eisener.

As announced on Friday, Adam, directed by Max Mayer, is the recipient of this year’s Alfred P. Sloan Prize. The Prize, which carries a $20,000 cash award to the filmmaker provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, is presented to an outstanding feature film focusing on science or technology as a theme, or depicting a scientist, engineer or mathematician as a major character.


Sundance Institute and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) on Thursday announced the winners of the 2009 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Awards honoring and supporting emerging filmmakers–one each from the United States, Japan, Europe and Latin America. The winning filmmakers and projects for 2009 are Diego Lerman, Ciencias Morales (Moral Sciences) from Argentina; David Riker, The Girl, from the United States; Qurata Kenji, Speed Girl from Japan; and Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Evolution from France.

Starring: Mark Duplass, Alycia Delmore, Josh Leonard
Directed By: Lynn Shelton
Grade: B

Humpday is a film that really put the outcome and direction of the movie in the hands of the actors. Director, Lynn Shelton, wrote an outline of the plot of the film and who these characters were, but that is about where the pre-determined writing of the film stopped. The rest of the film was entirely improved. The actors made up their own dialogue as it came to them and even decided what would happen in the end, a pressing question through the entire film.

Ben (Duplass) and Anna (Delmore) are a happily married couple who are trying to have a baby to build a family together. They have a nice house, good jobs, and are ready to move on to the next step of their lives. However, in the wee hours of the night, a blast from Ben’s past, his best friend from his single days, Andrew (Leonard), shows up. Andrew stays with them and brings out the old Ben along the way. When Andrew meets a girl he likes, he invites Ben to meet her and his friends. Anna had planned to make dinner to try to get to know Andrew, but since Andrew wants to stay there, Ben agrees to simply make an appearance then have dinner with his wife.

At first Ben gets a very weird vibe from these people and is not sure how long he wants to be there anyway. As they start drinking and their better judgment goes out the window they start talking. The subject of Humpfest comes up, which is an annual porn film festival. Andrew talks about how he really wants to make a great piece of art through porn and do something very different than has never been done before. Through this the idea of two straight guys having sex with each other on camera comes up where Ben jumps at the opportunity to be involved. Ben and Andrew book a hotel room for the next night and promise that they are going to have sex together on tape for the sake of artistic filmmaking. The next day Andrew tries to level with Ben by telling him that he knows that they were drunk and he doesn’t expect him to go through with this. It becomes about trying to prove who is the bigger man by not backing out. Ben actually feels like he really needs to do this for himself though. He tries explaining this to Anna, but it doesn’t go over so well. She fears that her husband might be gay and incapable of being part of the family that they have planned together.

The performances in the film were outstanding and clearly there was so much more behind them then just the delivery. The actors are very much responsible with the film that we are given in the end. Mark Duplass really does well as Ben who is constantly going back and forth between his single persona and his happily married persona. We see different people through these transitions and when the more wild side comes out it is very funny and unexpected. Josh Leonard was hilarious as Andrew, who really brought the comedy to the full height. He is the more spontaneous and crazy of the two, but he had a certain subtly to this, coming off as natural rather than over the top. What is really the most entertaining about Humpday is how Duplass and Leonard work together. There is already a certain homosexual connection between how attached these two hetero-sexual males are. The buddy relationship is strengthened by the almost overly loving bond that the two have. There is a certain tension in this that usually is broken through laughter, which is heightened all the more when the two are actually in the hotel room later on in the film.

I didn’t know that the actors improvised their own material until after I saw the film. While I was watching it what really caught my attention the most was just how extremely naturalistic the characters and the dialogue between them seemed. It seemed like I had known them since they projected this immense feeling of familiarity. They certainly captured my belief that these were very real characters. It was almost like we were just witnessing a part of these people’s lives rather than watching a movie. The pauses were great as it made the language seem more realistic, also adding to the question of where this movie was going to go. When they were shooting there wasn’t even an outcome that they had to get to. It was up to them, whatever felt real in the world of these characters, whatever outcome they would naturally come to if they did exist is what would conclude our film. That really made every moment building up to the end seem very genuine. The last scene where they are in the hotel is among one of the funniest, especially through their verbal and body language. Humpday is funny, engaging, and extremely realistic. It’s an experimentation in improvisation that succeeded in such a naturalistic but interesting, loving bond between two straight best friends.