Author: Joe Bendel

The Beautiful and the Debauched: LFM Reviews Lotus Eaters

By Joe Bendel. If a future generation ever really wanted to create their own unique identity they would study hard, eagerly join the work force, and compulsively save. Of course, hedonism is more fun – especially when there is a hipster filmmaker around to pretend you invented the dissolute lifestyle. True to the Bret Easton Ellis tradition, Alexandra McGuinness casts a glossy eye on the London smart set in Lotus Eaters, which opens tomorrow in New York.

Except for Alice, nobody in her circle of frienemies has ever held a proper job. She happens to be a model. She would like to transition into an acting career, but that looks unlikely for reasons of talent (or lack thereof). Everyone else spends all their time doing drugs, having sex, and playing mind games with each other. This especially includes her not-so reformed heroin-addict on-again-off-again boyfriend, Charlie. She would like to make it work with him, but he seems too self-destructive even by her friends’ standards. As a result, she starts responding to the duller but wealthier Felix. His ex is none too pleased, whereas master manipulator Orna seems to enjoy the chaos.

All critics seem to agree on how striking Gareth Munden’s Herb Ritts-inspired black-and-white cinematography is, which is all well and good. As a screen drama, though, Lotus is pretty much a mess. The characters are dull, the situations predictable, and the tone is ridiculously self-important. At least McGuinness is not afraid to cut lose. Frankly, by the third act, Lotus seems be deliberately parodying itself and other pretentious art films, concluding with an outrageously over-the-top finale that will either cause your jaw to drop or your sides to ache. That might not be what McGuinness was going for exactly, but at least it makes the film distinctive.

As Alice, the waifish Antonia Campbell-Hughes tends to blend into the white backgrounds unobtrusively. Likewise, the Byronic bad boy thing folksinger Johnny Flynn does as Charlie gets old quickly. Strangely, a lot of the flavor comes from the supporting cast. While some are rather clunky, Cynthia Fortune Ryan is an intriguing presence as Orna while Jay Choi adds some mischievous flair as Lulu.

Oddly enough, Lotus Eaters is really quite a retro viewing experience. It is all about its surface sheen and neo-new wave soundtrack. Had it come out in the 1980’s it would have been a sensation, but three decades or so later just feels like empty sound and spectacle. Recommended for fans of Mommie Dearest and similarly overwrought cult oddities, Lotus Eaters opens today (4/5) in New York at the Village East.

LFM GRADE: C-

Posted on April 5th, 2013 at 4:49pm.

The Dark Side of Antiquing: LFM Reviews The Brass Teapot

By Joe Bendel. To paraphrase Gerald Ford, any supernatural agency powerful enough to grant your wishes is ominous enough to produce some grimly ironic consequences. This is something anyone who has read W.W. Jacobs’ “The Monkey’s Paw” or seen the “Man in the Bottle” episode of The Twilight Zone ought to know. Unfortunately, that excludes young, dumb Alice and John. They are not so great at getting and holding down jobs either, so when they have the chance to make cash from a paranormal piece of kitchenware they are all over it, despite the painful complications in Ramaa Mosley’s The Brass Teapot (trailer here), which opens this Friday in New York.

Alice was predicted to become quite the success after high school. John not so much. She married him anyway and they both have fallen short of expectations. Although she is a college graduate, Alice is fundamentally unemployable. Though technically employed, John will not be surprised to get the axe at his tele-marketing gig. Enter the antique teapot Alice is mysteriously compelled to steal from a Holocaust survivor. Through an everyday household accident, she learns the teapot mystically rewards pain with cold hard cash.

Before long, Alice and John are beating each other fifty shades of black-and-blue to move into her dream home. Naturally, they forget about their real friends and start hobnobbing with the smart set. However, their new found affluence comes with a wicked catch—the teapot requires the pain to escalate. There are also third parties who suspect what they are up to, including a horribly clichéd Orthodox Jewish gang and Dr. Ling, a hereditary member of a secret society dedicated to containing the evil handle-and-spout. Since they are the good guys, it must be voluntarily given to them. They will not take it by force or subterfuge, which is why Dr. Ling’s brethren are still watching and waiting after all these years.

There is an intriguing backstory to the teapot. It might even be the most interesting aspect of the entire film. Nevertheless, the decision to adorn the item in question with Stars of David seems like an unfortunate choice. Mosley and screenwriter/short story author Tim Macy may not be aware of this, but centuries of hate literature has perniciously linked the Jewish people to money and avarice – all for the sake of justifying some terrible things. Watching Brass one gets the creepy feeling the wrong sort of people might be able to use it.

Juno Temple in "The Brass Teapot."

Regardless, it is hard to imagine a more irritating couple than Alice and John. Juno Temple’s pixie charms quickly fray, while Michael Angarano’s John is more of a whiny loser than an identifiable everyman. Frankly, viewers will soon have the urge to help them earn more cash from the teapot. Just about the only character that is not pure fingernails-on-the-blackboard is Stephen Park’s Dr. Ling, who is also largely the product of cultural stereotypes (the Asian wise man), but in this case not such an offensive one.

As if aware of her characters’ vacuity and sometimes questionable imagery, Mosley keeps her foot firmly planted on the gas. Occasionally, a sharp scene breaks out here and there, as when the physically exhausted couple resorts to emotional pain. Even so, the overall film is just a complete tonal mishmash. Recommended only for those looking to see Temple pouting in lingerie, The Brass Teapot opens this Friday (4/5) in New York at the Cinema Village.

LFM GRADE: D+

Posted on April 3rd, 2013 at 12:53pm.

Appalachian Horror: LFM Reviews 6 Souls

By Joe Bendel. There is nothing like eternity to teach atheist materialists a thing or two. A malevolent supernatural entity is out to demonstrate the soul’s existence to those who unfortunately lack faith in Måns Mårlind & Björn Stein’s 6 Souls, which opens this Friday in New York.

Dr. Cara Jessup has no patience with bogus multiple-personality diagnoses. She is perfectly willing to testify against such claptrap as an expert witness for criminal prosecutors. It takes a lot out of her though, because she is a practicing Christian. Her faith was recently tested by the random murder of her husband, yet it remains strong. The same is not necessarily true for her father, Dr. Harding, and her young daughter.

Also a psychiatrist, the old man is more apt to buy into trendy theories. As a challenge to his orthodox daughter, he presents her a particularly volatile but convincing split personality case. Accepting the challenge, Jessup discovers the man’s presumably adopted personas correspond to tragic deaths not far from his hill country roots. In each case, the deceased’s faith had been undermined by misfortune before their actual deaths. It all might involve a snake-handling Hillbilly sect and its spiritual leader, the “Granny.” Of course, while Dr. Jessup follows her clues all the soul-sick people in her life start dying like flies.

If Julianne Moore had created such a sympathetic portrait of a woman of faith when playing Sarah Palin, Game Change would have been the toast of CPAC. Frankly, 6 Souls is more than a bit muddled in its presentation of religious belief, but Moore clearly conveys her Christianity as a source of strength for Jessup. It is smart, earnest work. And then there’s everyone else.

To be fair, veteran character actor Jeffrey DeMunn (the Stephen King prison movie specialist, appearing in Green Mile and Shawshank) is quite engaging as Dr. Harding. Alas, Jonathan Rhys Meyers is far from a suitably sinister presence as Harding’s patient[s]. Indeed, there is no getting around it—he is just plain dull.

6 Souls opens with a grabby sequence that nicely establishes both Dr. Jessup’s character and an atmosphere of foreboding. Unfortunately, it is not really connected to the rest of the narrative. Mårlind & Stein try to maintain the moody vibe, but they keep the proceedings so murky it seems like they might have shot with layer of caked-on mud covering their lens. There is a worthy lead performance and the kernel of a promising idea in 6 Souls, but the execution is too dark (in a literal sense) and erratic. Best reserved for genre die-hards who like their supernatural horror with some Appalachian seasoning, 6 Souls opens this Friday (4/5) in New York at the Village East.

LFM GRADE: C+

Posted on April 3rd, 2013 at 12:52pm.

The Intrigue Before the War: LFM Reviews Alan Furst’s Spies of Warsaw; Debuts Wed. 4/3 on BBC America

By Joe Bendel. In the early 1930’s, Poland was in a tight spot geographically. It was sandwiched between Germany and the Soviet Union. We know what that will mean come 1939. A French military attaché also has a pretty good idea, but his superiors are not so keen to hear it in Spies of Warsaw, a two-night miniseries based on Alan Furst’s novel, premiering this Wednesday on BBC America.

Jean-Francois Mercier saw more than enough combat in World War I. Initially, the decorated aristocrat was not enthusiastic about his posting to the Warsaw embassy. However, as the Polish people start to grow on him, he becomes increasingly concerned about their vulnerability to foreign invasion. Indeed, he fully understands the implications for France should Poland fall. Warsaw has also become considerably more charming for Mercier after the arrival of Anna Skarbek, a sophisticated employee of the League of Nations. Frustratingly, though, she is determined to remain faithful to her lover, Maxim Mostov, a boozy Russian journalist exiled by the Bolsheviks.

While the first installment of Spies is a bit slow out of the blocks, it nicely sets the scene and establishes the geopolitical context. The cloak-and-daggering that eventually takes center-stage is fascinating fact-based stuff, involving the oft-overlooked left wing of the National Socialist Party (a vestige of its trade unionist roots) and the German upper-class’s resentment of the Nazis, mostly for being uncouth and reaching above their proper stations.

Mercier is also rather clear-headed when it comes to appraising the Communists. In fact, he agrees to facilitate the defection of a pair of his Soviet counterparts. As a bargaining chip, they offer clues to the identity of a former NKVD mole highly placed in the German government, who became inactive when his handler was purged. Yet, Mercier’s ultimate mission, inspired by a true historical operation, will be revealed late in the third act.

Janet Montgomery as Anna Skarbek in "Spies of Warsaw."

Spies might have been condensed into feature length, but the extra time allows it to more fully explore the details (we) espionage junkies so enjoy. Even though it presents Warsaw as a city rife with spycraft and skullduggery, Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais’s tele-adaptation is clearly sympathetic to the Polish people. Prominent Polish actor Marcin Dorociński even has a major supporting role, nearly stealing the show as Mercier’s old wartime colleague, Antoni Pakulski, now serving in the Warsaw constabulary with vaguely defined counter-espionage responsibilities. Unlike his gritty turns in Rose and Manhunt, Dorociński has a smooth Errol Flynn-ish thing going on that works so well he could easily carry a Pakulski-focused sequel.

Of course, to BBC America and most of its viewers, the star of Spies is unquestionably David Tennant, the tenth Doctor Who. As Mercier, he supposedly cuts quite the dashing figure. Really? If you say so. Still, he projects a sense of intelligence and a distinct impatience with bureaucracy, both of which are more important for his character’s super-spy credibility.

Veteran British television director Coky Giedroyc (whose credits notably include The Hour) maintains an appropriately noirish mood, emphasizing atmosphere and intrigue more than action. It might seem hard to believe that one of the year’s smartest miniseries – with a pronounced respect for freedom and a healthy skepticism of ideology – would feature a French blue blood and a League of Nations do-gooder as its primary POV characters, but here it is. Highly recommended for fans of cerebral spy fiction in the Le Carré tradition, Spies of Warsaw begins this Wednesday (4/3) and concludes the following week (4/10) on BBC America.

LFM GRADE: A-

Posted on April 1st, 2013 at 11:15am.

Going Underground in the Ukraine: LFM Reviews No Place on Earth

By Joe Bendel. Most think of caving as the stuff of National Geographic, but for thirty-eight Jewish Ukrainians, it was rather more serious. It was a matter of life, not death. For eighteen months they evaded the German National Socialists by hiding deep in two narrow, naturally-formed caverns. Decades later, the survivors tell their story in Janet Tobias’s documentary, No Place on Earth, which opens this Friday in New York.

As it often happens, it was a New Yorker who brought this story to light. British-born Bronx resident Chris Nicola is an experienced caver who originally traveled to the post-Soviet Ukrainian in search of his roots. While exploring a cave, he discovered a series of artifacts clearly suggesting families had once lived there. Not surprisingly, the locals were not forthcoming with information. Nonetheless, after years of sleuthing, he finally tracked down the Stermers and the Dodyks. They all credit their initial survival to the iron-will of matriarch Esther Stermer as well as the resourceful foraging of the elder Stermer brothers, Nissel and Saul.

When Tobias read about Nicola’s expeditions and investigation (in Nat Geo, of course), she recognized the makings of a good documentary. Fortunately, the production fell into place in time to record the elderly Stermer and Dodyk survivors returning to the caves that once sheltered them, bringing along their children and grandchildren, with Nicola to serve as their guide.

Tobias blends dramatic re-enactments, talking head interviews, and her on-the-scene footage of the families’ underground homecoming (not completely seamlessly, but functionally enough). At times, it has the feel of a cable special (perhaps with good reason, considering it is a co-production of History Films), but there is no denying the power of their story. At one point during their subterranean reunion they cut the lights to fully recreate the experience of living there. Coincidentally, at this point the video went out at the screening I attended, yet it took a roomful of jaded film critics several minutes to realize it was supposed to be dark, but not that dark. One could certainly say we were caught up in the moment. (Eventually the problem was fixed and the film rewound to the point in question).

The Stermer and Dodyk family members are still very sharp interview subjects and Nicola is a particularly charismatic screen presence. As a result, Tobias captures a vivid sense of her subjects’ personalities and their lives in the caves, the quality of which was quite high they repeatedly emphasize, because it was free.

Indeed, this is not the usual survival story often depicted on-film, chronicling the efforts of a good Christian protector. The Stermers and Dodyk’s relied almost entirely on themselves. There is a lot to learn from their inspiring stories. Respectfully recommended for family and student viewing, No Place on Earth opens this Friday (4/5) in New York, at the Angelika Film Center downtown and the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center uptown.

LFM GRADE: B

Posted on April 1st, 2013 at 11:14am.

Mythic Scandinavian Blondes: LFM Reviews Thale

By Joe Bendel. Huldra are not your typical mythological woodland creatures. These tailed women from Scandinavian myth are very blonde and can be a lot of trouble. Two forensic cleaners might have one on their hands in Aleksander Nordaas’s Thale, which opens this Friday in New York.

Elvis is not really cut out for his friend’s Leo’s industrial strength cleaning service. Their primary gigs are grisly crime scenes. The work doesn’t seem to bother Leo much, but it keeps Elvis close to a bucket. Their latest assignment has them scouring about for the pieces of an elderly recluse, killed under mysterious circumstances. As they proceed, they stumble upon a secret cellar with a naked woman hidden in a bath tub.

It seems the old geezer had kept her prisoner down there since she was a young girl. While the deceased evidently performed various experiments on her, the cassettes he left behind seem to suggest he was also protecting her from outside parties. As if on cue, we start to see strange, shadowy figures darting through the woods. The feral Thale, as the old man called her, also bears watching. Good luck, dudes.

Although billed as a horror film, Thale is long on set-up and short on gore. This is not necessarily a bad thing. There is a bit of character development in their disparate reactions to splattered blood and entrails that pays off later in the film. Nonetheless, there is not so much to satisfy hardcore genre fans. Instead, Thale plays like a dark Nordic version of Splash.

Nordaas deliberately emphasizes Thale’s animal-like vulnerability. Silje Reinåmo taps into that raw primal innocence. It is a rather brave performance, especially considering she is naked for nearly the entire film. It is hardly erotic, but Seth MacFarlane will clearly be able to see her breasts. Erlend Nervold and Jon Sigve Skard are also relatively engaging as the everyman carnage cleaners. They have bits that stay with viewers well after the initial screening, which says something for the genre. Unfortunately, the third act’s perfunctory lack of ambition is disappointing.

Considering the dearth of huldra movies previously available, Thale undeniably fills a void. In terms of tone and subject matter, it certainly has the virtue of being something different. Despite the simplicity of its narrative, cult film enthusiasts should consider it when it opens this Friday (4/5) in New York at the Cinema Village.

LFM GRADE: B-

Posted on April 1st, 2013 at 11:13am.