Welcome to the Rileys

 

Reviewed by Alicia Glass

Director: Jake Scott

Studio: Argonaut Pictures

MPAA Rating: R

Review Rating: 8 Bleeped Cursewords

Damaged businessman Doug, ignored by his estranged wife after a tragic death in their family, runs away on a business trip to try and restore another damaged and lost soul in New Orleans.

It’s actually a very good movie, clearly demonstrating the lengths broken people will go to, to simply give up, lie down and die, only to be saved by apparently the last caring person on earth. Of course, the simple storyline is only enhanced by the fact that two major name stars are occupying those roles: James Gandolfini of The Sopranos fame, and Kristen Stewart of the Twilight series. Whereas we’re treated to Doug (Gandolfini) in suits and downtrodden expressions; Mallory, if that is her real name, is a foul mouthed street hustling “dancer”. It’s interesting to see the lovely Stewart, after remembering her as the lovey-dovey Bella, trussed up in fishnets and nipple-tape, and every other word that pops out of her mouth is a curse.

Most every painstakingly up close moment of confrontation is leavened with the pause for a breathy laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Doug is in town for some mindlessly boring convention, and just decides bah, to up and walk out on all of it. After a lapdance that wasn’t and a numb recitation of the other services Mallory offers, only to be ordered out when Doug decides he doesn’t want anything, Doug and Mallory meet up again later a little too coincidentally at some coffee house and form an unlikely friendship. Doug, obviously missing his child that died, tries his best to take care of Mallory and gets nothing but heartache and trashmouth for his trouble. And then of course, as things are going from bad to worse, Doug’s wife decides she really can overcome agoraphobia and hies herself to New Orleans to find her wayward husband.

Surprisingly, the movie does end on a somewhat pleasant, if not closure-type, note. Doug and his wife Lois manage to reconcile, and they both come across with the simple idea that it’s never too late, very well. And Doug and Mallory come to a reconciliation of sorts, in a manner that befits reality instead of your standard Hollywood fade into the sunset. Welcome to the Rileys gets a score of 8 Bleeped Cursewords.

And check out the trailer

 

Dive!

 

Directed by Jeremy Seifert

“Dive!” is an eye-opening expose on the billions of pounds of food that our nation throws out each year. Inspired by a curiosity about our country’s careless habit of sending food straight to landfills, filmmaker Jeremy Seifert and friends dumpster dive in the back alleys and gated garbage receptacles of Los Angeles’ supermarkets. In the process, they salvage thousands of dollars worth of food, edible food – resulting in an inspiring documentary that is equal parts entertainment, guerilla journalism and call-to-action.

 

Nowhere Boy

 

Directed by Sam Taylor Wood

Starring Aaron Johnson, Anne Marie Duff, David Morrisey, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ophelia Lovibond, Thomas Sangster

An entertaining and thought provoking chronicle of John Lennon’s childhood as he grew up in the shattered city of Loverpool. Two sisters tussle for his love – Mimi, the aunt who raised him, and Julia, the free-spirited mother who gave him up to Mimi’s care. Yearning for a normal family, John escapes into art and the new music flooding in from the U.S. His fledgling genius finds a kindred spirit in the young Paul McCartney. But just as John’s new life begins, the truth about his past leads to a tragedy he would never escape.

 

A Little Help

Directed by Michael J. Weithorn

Starring Jenna Fischer, Chris O’Donnell, Rob Benedict

Set in suburban Long Island in the summer of 2002, shortly after 9/11, dental hygienist Laura Pehlke gets entangled in a series of bizarre lies in order to take care of herself and her 12-year-old son. When the lies get out of hand, she finds the only way to regain control of her life and her sons is by seeking a little help from an unexpected friend. “A Little Help” is an extraordinary emotional journey of an ordinary person, overwhelmed by ordinary events in a touching story about love and support.

The Kane Files: Life of Trial

Directed by Ben Gourley

Starring Drew Fuller, Ethan Embry, William Devane

Scott Kane, a man with a checkered past is trying to live a clean life. When his son Owne falls ill, Kane finds his only option is to turn to Daniel Morgan, the local kingpin of the criminal underworld. Morgan offers to help Kane’s family, but double-crosses him. When Morgan tries killing Kane by employing a dirty cop, Jace Olsen, Kane escapes from prison seek his revenge and save his son. With the FBI and police on his tail, Kane must utilize all his deadly skills to save his family and himself in this action-packed drama.

Conviction

Directed by Tony Goldwyn

Starring Hilary Swank, Sam Rochwell, Minnie Driver and Juliette Lewis

Betty Ann Waters, an unemployed mother of two, believed that her brother, who was serving a life sentence for murder, was innocent. Convinced that he was wrongly tried, Anne spent 12 years obtaining a law degree, all in pursuit of overturning her brothers unjust murder conviction. Based on the incredible true story of a woman determined for truth and justice, despite overwhelming obstacles. 

Morning

Morning

Opening Night Film

Reviewed by Alicia Glass

Studio: Red Rover Films

Director: Leeland Orser

Review Rating: 7

After the tragic loss of their only child due to an accident, a husband and wife separate for a four-day journey of the exploration of grief in its myriad forms and ways.

We knew this wasn’t going to be a happy movie, despite it being the opening night film. Yet when I read the synopsis and was watching the director Leeland Orser field questions before the film started, I was holding out hope for some manner of light in the darkness. It was answered in a kind of roundabout way, more on that later.

So the two main leads in the movie, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Leeland Orser, are married in real life. I’ve seen Tripplehorn pull off the battered soul woman in other powerhouses such as Big Love, and this movie is no exception. Orser is a fine actor himself, if a bit subdued and therefore surprising when he screams. His character, the husband, barely has a handful of lines in the entire movie. We have Laura Linney, who I’ve always liked, as the comforting grief counselor the wife eventually finds. Elliot Gould stars as the physical doctor, or M.D., that wife Alice originally wanted to go to. And Charlie McDermott brings a few awkward scenes as the neighbors son who tries to help.

It’s not the actors, they’re fine and they deliver a disturbingly real performance. It’s the movie itself, the subject matter of the sudden accidental death of a child, and it seems to me everyone’s kind of pussyfooting around that. I know the focus is supposed to be on the parents and their grief, but making an entire movie out of their grieving process is like spending an hour or two watching a flinch, or a wince. It’s almost like we the audience have violated something intensely private; I’m failing to understand why this sort of thing needs to be shared in feature film format. I’m going to reluctantly give the movie 7 boxes of tissues, I felt like I needed them by the end. Orser is a fine director, if nothing else.

Check out the Trailer –

Repo

 

Reviewed by Alicia Glass

Studio: Revel Entertainment

MPAA Rating: N/A

Director: Ben Gourley

Review Rating: 7

 Two slacker repo guys, one with girl troubles and one with brain troubles, decide to steal back all the cars they’ve repo’d to make a profit.

 It’s a perfectly fine movie, the first official full-length made by director and star Ben Gourley. My only problem with it is there’s very little that stands out and makes it memorable. Sure it has Jason Mewes of Jay and Silent Bob fame, with short dark hair even, but his new character for this movie acts more or less the same as Jay. Gourley’s character Leon, while an actual sensitive and caring male soul, seems to have the fates conspiring against him once he finds a girl he actually wants. And since Leon is the manager of his apartment complex, there are several other zany characters to choose from to make life more interesting: the fat and sensitive ever-present computer geek, the strange and brooding but good-hearted hard-rock star, and so on. There was one thing I clearly recalled though: T.J.’s wife Dominique is a bit of a larger woman and ethnic too, and that’s slightly unusual for most movies, I was glad to see it here.

 Not a bad movie at all, a good waste of time that may appreciate with age or theatrical release, Repo is the kind of movie that reminds us all how important it is to have life long friends who would do anything for you – whether you like it or not.

 Check out the trailer on the website here

William Shatner’s Gonzo Ballet

Reviewed by Alicia Glass

Studio: Big Screen Entertainment Group

MPAA Rating: N/A

Director: Patrick Buckley & Bobby Ciraldo

Review Rating: 7

 William Shatner’s musical and spoken word album Has Been is made into a full blown ballet with the help of choreographer Margo Sappington.

 The movie itself is actually pretty good, although it really does help if you’ve heard Has Been before and are a fan of Shatner’s dry wit and personal style. Fully half the film is devoted to entire ballet dance numbers to a few of the songs, while the other half encompasses splicing in private moments with Shatner revealing how he made the album and where the inspiration came from. It is not simply a film taping the entire ballet for the album from start to finish.

 The ballet numbers themselves are sprightly and comical and genuinely warm, with choreographer Sappington happily touting Shatner’s album and always asking for creative input from her dancers. The dancers themselves are dressed in costumes I wouldn’t have necessarily chosen, but they are bright and cheerful. And every dance number they do, from the sprightly every-dancer-involved romps to the single-pair slow and melancholy pas de deux, shows the heart and soul of the dancer thrown into every move, every lift and every turn. I recommend, if you can find it of course, that everyone who appreciates creativity in all mediums see this movie. And it doesn’t hurt to have Henry Rollins and Ben Folds running around in the movie either!

Watch William Shatner talk about how the movie was named Gonzo Ballet at the San Diego Film Festival showing!

 

SDFF 2009 Extras and Award Winners

 

So this years San Diego Film Festival was a lot more hopping than last years.

For one thing, they had a DJ set up right in the movie hall, albeit at the top of the rendezvous stairs, this guy: DJ Kray-Z-K.

Marine life artist Wyland did a showing of his movie Wyland: Earth Day, and a book signing afterwards!

The SyFy Channel sponsored a showing of their upcoming show Caprica, which I actually enjoyed.

 

I made friends with Selena Parker, entrepreneur and entertainer, star of Selena’s TV Showcase.

There were a bunch of Panels and Workshops for the aspiring actor, filmmaker and such; I had too many movies to watch to make those.

 

There was the Evening with Richard Dreyfuss, profits going to The Dreyfuss Initiative which is trying to bring back the teaching of civics in American schools.

Then of course there were the parties, most of which I was honestly too tired to go to.

The Limelight PR Industry Party at the W Hotel was pretty nifty, Patron Social Club and GQ sponsored the taking of large professional pictures for free.

The best party by far had to be the 944 Magazine sponsored Actors Ball & Awards party, at the Hotel Salomar. A pair of award-winning filmmakers actually hopped in the pool when their names were called, it was fairly funny. Here’s the list of award winners:

 Best Short Film – True Beauty This Night

 Best Music Video – “Sunlight” Reilly’s, directed by David Altrogge

 Best Narrative Feature – Formosa Betrayed

 Best Documentary – American Harmony

 Best San Diego Film – Wyland Earth Day by Chris Morrow

 Best Screenplay – The Job directed by Shem Bitterman

 Best Actress – Mira Sorvino, Like Dandelion Dust

 Best Actor – James Van Der Beek, Formosa Betrayed

 Indie Icon Award – Seymour Cassel

 Audience Choice Award Documentary – Jessie’s Story

 Audience Choice Award Feature – Reach For Me

 

Written by Alicia Glass