An American Crime and Iron Man

Not since Kathy Bates in “Misery” have I witnessed a spitefully merciless female villain quite like Catherine Keener in “An American Crime.” Her every move is guided by a childlike desire for authority yet she’s so boggled down by pharmaceuticals and cantankerous insecurity that the line between parent and oppressor is sternly diluted. She runs her house not as a home, but as a tyrannical fear factory in which children cower in her presence and timidly acquiesce to her every demand.

Taking on a despicable being such as Gertrude Baniszewski requires a no-frills line of attack and Keener is certainly not one to hold back. It would’ve been easy to turn this woman into an archetypical monster, but instead, she opts for a richer portrayal of how an unhinged matriarch tried to hide her sadism behind a wall of stress-induced chain smoking.

The only thing keeping this film from being completely unwatchable is another shattering performance from twenty-one-year-old sensation Ellen Page. Once again, she disappears into her character and evokes an overwhelming emotional reaction throughout every morsel of her screen time. Sylvia Likens was truly an innocent victim and the creators of this difficult picture do nothing to sugarcoat any of the unspeakable cruelties she was forced to endure.

Due to its objectionable nature, I assume this film probably won’t be given the attention and exposure it deserves, but that to me is just another sorry example of people turning a blind eye to a horrific event. The fact that this really happened back in 1965 shouldn’t sit well with any morally respectable individual. To this day, it’s regarded as the most appalling crime ever committed in the state of Indiana and, after watching this film, it’s hard to disagree.

- *** ½ out of 4

“Iron Man” is everything a bombastic Summer thrill ride should be. It has an electric lead performance from Robert Downey Jr., a radiant beauty in Gwyneth Paltrow, and enough high-octane combat to appease even the most demanding fanboys. The first hour is simply terrific as we follow Tony Stark on his tumultuous path to moral salvation and I could’ve easily sat through another hour of just his quick-witted, booze-filled escapades. But is that really what general audiences want to see?

Probably not, so of course director Jon Favreau and Co. conjure up some pretty stirring action sequences involving Stark and his sinisterly screwball mentor Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), but the film moves along just as smoothly during the prickly banter between Downey and Paltrow. Their natural chemistry is pitch perfect throughout and, in my mind, elevates the everyday comic book material to a level that Ang Lee’s “Hulk” desperately called for.

For the first official blockbuster of the year, this one definitely exceeded expectations and left me feeling strangely optimistic about what Hollywood will dish out over the next fiscal quarter. While Downey chose the cocky, charismatic route, Edward Norton will most likely follow a much bleaker and more brooding trail in Louis Leterrier‘s “The Incredible Hulk,” so, for once, the Marvel train might actually be headed in the right direction.

- *** ½ out of 4