There’s an old Icelandic proverb that goes, “Never underestimate a woman with a crossbow. Or a circular saw. Or explosives.” OK, so it’s not an ancient Nordic proverb, but it should be. Halla (Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir), the protagonist of Benedikt Erlingsson’s loopy yet sobering second feature, Woman at War, is a middle-aged choir conductor by day, and an ageless … [Read more...]
Doppelganger portals and inequality in America: This is ‘Us’
As a horror movie setting, a groty carnival on the beaches of Santa Cruz in 1986 is a ready-made place to start. And so begins Us, Jordan Peele’s gripping new creep show. A proud father has just won his curious little girl, Adelaide Wilson (Madison Curry), a prize at one of the midway games. She picks a Michael Jackson “Thriller” T-shirt (speaking of scary things), many … [Read more...]
‘The Competition’: The rocky road to finding the next Truffaut
The formula of the competition documentary is a sturdy and familiar one. Whether the subject is a spelling bee, a dance tournament or a science fair, the format is pretty much identical: We observe a handful of striving young competitors through the process, getting to know, and hopefully love, each one personally. If that means dozens of equally interesting biographies are … [Read more...]
Boca Jewish Film Festival grows, set to open third season
Heading into its third annual event, March 10-31, the Judy Levis Markhoff Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival has already proven popular with south county movie mavens. “We’ve grown tremendously,” reports Wendy Honig, the festival’s artistic director. This year’s festival will screen 44 films from 20 countries, including U.S. and Southeast premieres, and three submissions to … [Read more...]
Reading Pauline: Documentary explores power of a major film critic
For those of us still pulling off the magic act of being paid (meagerly, of course) to scribble about movies in the 21st century, the presence of a documentary about one of our own, especially a figure as significant and divisive as Pauline Kael, proved too tantalizing to resist. Thus, of all the important films to enjoy their South Florida debuts at the Miami International … [Read more...]
Hap’s fearless Oscar predictions: Malek, Close, ‘Green Book’
According to the showbiz bible Variety, this is the most wide-open Oscars race in decades, with no conclusive front runner emerging from the preliminary awards. Yet that does not stop me from predicting tonight's winners, just in time for you to place a bet with your neighbors or bookie. By the end of a probably long evening, here is what the list of those clutching gold … [Read more...]
Harrowing ‘Arctic’ strands its audience, too
Arctic, the directorial debut from YouTube personality Joe Penna, is nothing if not an exercise in economy. We don’t need to know what we don’t need to know. We first see the protagonist, played by Mads Mikkelsen, shoveling snow, alone, an infinite abyss of powder sprawling in all directions. When he’s done, an overhead shot reveals the site-specific art he’s just created: … [Read more...]
‘Last Resort’ an engrossing tale of a lost Miami Beach
Among the countless quotable lines from Cocaine Cowboys, director Billy Corben’s influential documentary about the Miami Drug War, is this summary of the population of prewar Miami Beach, from one blunt observer: It consisted of “a lot of old people just sitting on rocking chairs waiting to die.” Corben didn’t linger on the porch sitters much. He cut to the chase, which is … [Read more...]
Where everybody had an Uncle Joe: Making ‘The Last Resort’
Fresh from its area premiere at the Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival, a popular documentary of the history of Miami Beach, its transition from a retirees’ community to a hip, young multicultural club scene, and the two local photographers who chronicled its heyday, The Last Resort, arrives in theaters this Friday. Co-directors Dennis Scholl and Kareem Tabsch both grew up … [Read more...]
Prestige layout suffocates authenticity of ‘Never Look Away’
Never Look Away, the sweeping new Oscar bait from Germany’s Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, is never better than when it watches paint dry. Or, rather, when it watches its central character, modern artist Kurt Barnert (Tom Schilling), watch paint dry. I’m referring specifically to a segment near the home stretch of this 188-minute sprawl when, after years of replicating … [Read more...]