End of the Summer Film Frenzy

A time will come in every person’s life when they’re forced to look inward and discover just how concrete their ability to navigate through tough times really is. For the haughty, well-to-do siblings in Olivier Assayas’s gorgeous new film “Summer Hours,” that time proves to be testier than expected when their 75-year-old mother dies, leaving them to quarrel over a collection of priceless artifacts she leaves behind. To call it a sibling rivalry would imply that they all feel entitled to a piece of the pie, but that’s simply not the case here.

Two of them are eager to let go of the past and allow the pieces to go their separate ways, but one isn’t quite ready to relinquish a life he once cherished. Watching them sort through the debris, both physical and emotional, is heartwarming to the core and something I have more than a modicum of experience with.

Beautifully shot, debonair in its production and boasting eloquent work from Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling and Jérémie Renier, I suggest you seek it out and revel in its sheer majesty.

- **** out of 4

It’s been referred to as Judd Apatow’s “death movie,” his unconcealed attempt at meriting the respect of Hollywood’s elite as well as devout film scholars who find his brand of cinema to be less than artful. Sure, the fragility of being is explored at times, but the reality of “Funny People” is one that defies such asinine prejudgment. The much-heralded comedic genius behind “Freaks and Geeks” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” has crafted an astute celebration of life through the cynical, self-loathing eyes of a millionaire actor who returns to his stand-up comedy roots after being diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia.

For the first time in his career, Adam Sandler embodies a character that is undoubtedly a living, breathing grown-up and he knocks it out of the park. He makes George Simmons a well-rounded smart-ass who uses humor to avoid dealing with the harsh reality in which he finds himself, so when the occasion comes for him to finally open-up, the movie becomes much more than a raunchy battle of wits. The camaraderie he develops with up-and-comer Ira Wright (played brilliantly by Seth Rogen) makes for a sea of hysterical moments involving Judaism and dick jokes, which both seem to be synonymous with the Apatow brand.

As someone who was on the fence about Sandler’s dramatic potential, I can’t say enough about his performance here and would love to see the Academy reward him for the effort.

- *** ½ out of 4

Just when I thought J.J. Abrams had all but sealed the deal on Science Fiction for 2009, along comes British director Neill Blomkamp with a work so raw, so distinctive and so shocking that I won’t hesitate to call it an early candidate for my year-end column. His “District 9” is an ascetic window into a world overrun by soulless bureaucrats who can’t resist the opportunity for profit when aliens touch down over Johannesburg, South Africa. Not even a national crisis can keep the human thirst for dominion at bay, so the real-life parallels drawn here are sure to have audiences foaming at the mouth over the appalling display of power. The outlook is bleak, the creatures are the epitome of grotesque and the only chance for survival comes down to a shrill, pusillanimous company man who suddenly finds himself at the center of chaos.

Sharlto Copley gives one of the most riveting performances of the year as Wikus van de Merwe and deserves to have his name thrown around come award season. He’s cocky, irritating and downright moronic at the outset, but something happens during the second act that brings out the best in his character. Wikus goes from zero to hero and becomes a vulnerable, determined fugitive who discovers how disposable his existence really is. We feel his anguish and, despite prior intolerance, are with him until the bitter end.

Dystopian films such as “Children of Men” and “The Road” certainly come to mind, but the extraterrestrial presence adds a much crazier dimension to the narrative that sets it apart. Anytime a filmmaker is ballsy enough to introduce inter-species prostitution as a possible outlet for stress, I’m inclined to believe that we’ll never see anything remotely similar ever again. There’s something refreshing about a filmmaker who’s willing to obliterate all conventionality and I can only hope that future Sci-Fi pictures follow suit.

- **** out of 4

“Movies are so rarely great art that if we cannot appreciate great trash we have very little reason to be interested in them” – Pauline Kael

I quote the great Pauline Kael, because her words make me feel less irate over watching the latest “Fatal Attraction” facsimile “Obsessed,” starring Idris Elba, Beyonce Knowles and Ali Larter (stunning, as usual). The film tries to be sleek, sexy and every other provocative concept in the book, but how much tension can possibly be generated when the supposed affair is just a wicked hallucination drummed up out of loneliness? Can you get emotionally invested knowing that the two characters in question never actually had a relationship? I certainly wasn’t but, then again, I’m probably not the target audience for a film like this anyway.

- ** out of 4

“The Haunting in Connecticut” is supposedly based on true events, but I have difficulty believing that everything went down exactly the way it’s portrayed on screen. Sources have even come out since and stated that no paranormal activity has been reported in the house since the Snedeker family left, so who really knows for sure? I can say that the film is chilling enough in spots to make it passable and Virginia Madsen’s presence is always a welcomed sight.

-** ½ out of 4

I know it may be sacrilegious to say so, but Greg Mottola’s infinitely delightful ode to summer romance “Adventureland” is much better than his 2007 romp “Superbad.” He captures the sights and sounds of 1987 to a tee and hits just the right note when exploring a budding relationship between Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart. Upon seeing the trailer, I honestly didn’t care to give it a second look, but it’s one of those films that comes out of nowhere to steal your heart and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet little burst of nostalgia.

- **** out of 4 (Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig are stellar yet again)

Iron Maiden is often billed as “the biggest band in the world” and watching an endless array of metalheads from Mumbai wail the chorus to “Aces High” makes that sentiment quite difficult to dispute. Tack on concerts in Italy, Japan, Latvia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Croatia etc. and you get a semblance of what their captivating new documentary “Iron Maiden: Flight 666” is all about. They’re incredible on stage and the film gives you a behind-the-scenes view of their day-to-day operations while on tour, so if you’re a fan of the music, you’ll love every minute of it.

- **** out of 4

The Charlie Daniels Band rocks the locks

The Molson Canal Concert Series was transformed into a good old-fashioned hoedown on Friday night as the attendees were treated to a rousing 90 minutes of Southern-fried rock courtesy of the Charlie Daniels Band. The heat was on, the drinks were cold and the vitality of Daniels’s fiddle playing was enough to entice music lovers to endure what felt like the most sweat-soaked evening of 2009. People may not have known the name of every song, but they sure knew the lyrics once the opening riff hit, so needless to say there was no shortage of audience participation.

At 72 years young, Daniels displays more zest on stage than I would expect and has the innate ability to turn any number into a riotous jam session whenever the mood strikes. Songs like “The South’s Gonna Do It” and “Long-haired Country Boy” showed tremendous bite as the band lost itself in the groove and even the lesser-known tunes were able to bring the crowd to a roaring applause. They could’ve come out and played a country-infused version of “The Nutcracker” and fans would’ve been into it, because the group was exceptionally tight and it’s not everyday that a legendary musician gives a free show in the unassuming city of Lockport.

Then again, it didn’t take much to rile this crowd, because first opener Ransomville delivered a commanding, well-received set that, to me, resembled more hard hock than country. Guitarists John Rosini and Rob Burgio (both former members of Seven Day Faith) each treat the instrument like their own personal playground and somehow find a way to make country music seem less predictable.

Their spirited take on Big and Rich’s “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” was impressive, while the original material worked even better than on the album. It might sound strange, but a few of their heavier tunes came off as a twangy Buckcherry at times, so I’m interested to see how they progress in the future.

Second opener Her and Kings County was just as lively as radiant vocalist Monique Staffile led the band through a series of whimsical party tunes that showcased how diverse the event really was. The combination of a unique stage presence and her dynamic vocal ability set the tone for an entertaining set featuring some killer work on both the banjo and steel pedal guitar.

As someone who doesn’t even like country music, I can’t deny the stellar array of musicianship offered by all three groups and wouldn’t mind if they wound up on next year’s schedule. It was the perfect alignment of music, ambiance and weather, so here’s hoping this Friday’s finale with Randy Bachman is up to the challenge.