Month: January 2016

“The Benefactor” (**1/2 out of four) was a middling drama about an aging philanthropist (Richard Gere) whose family was killed in a car accident who tries to relive his past by befriending and helping a newly married couple (Dakota Fanning and Theo James). Gere’s solid performance anchors this uneasy mix of sentimentality, romance, and story about recovery from drug addiction and redemption. Imperfect and overlong but still worth a look and another strong performance from Gere in his late-career comeback after “Arbitrage” and “Time Out Of Mind.”

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“House Of Manson” (**1/2 out of four) was a sporadically affecting biographical thriller about Charles Manson (Ryan KIser) and his descent into drugs and madness and how this led to the murder of actress Sharon Tate and executive Leno LaBianca. Kiser is absolutely riveting in the lead role but the story has its ups-and-downs; it’s alternately fascinating, tedious, unpleasant and sometimes all three at once. Definitely a mixed bag and not for all tastes but definitely of interest to Manson fanatics and fans of true crime.

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“StalkHer” (* out of four) was a dreadful psychological drama that resembles a bad stage play about a loser (John Jarratt) who stalks and is obsessed with a nurse (Kaarin Fairfax) who he works with and decides to break into her house but she turns the tables on him and imprisons him leading them to get to know one another and realize that (shucks) they kinda like one another and have a lot to talk about! Co-stars Fairfax and Jarratt also directed this so there’s no one to blame for this disaster but them. Horror movie fans may recognize John Jarratt but he (and us) would have been much better making “Wolf Creek 3” instead.

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“Adulterers” (* out of four) was an excruciating Redbox melodrama about a husband (Sean Faris) who returns home from work early on the anniversary for him and his wife (Rebecca Reaney) and finds her having sex with a stranger (Mehcad Brooks) and he decides to enact psychological and physical revenge. Virtually the entire movie consists of him holding them hostage and them debating on love and relationships! Being based on a true story doesn’t make this any more believable (or watchable). Watch Jerry Springer instead.

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“Anesthesia” (** out of four) was an ambitious but uneven drama that recalls the stylings of early Woody Allen and Robert Altman about the intersection of many different lives in NYC; a Columbia University professor (Sam Waterston) who is retiring and his supportive wife (Glenn Close), a young girl (Kristin Stewart) who is lashing out at the world by hurting herself, a drug abuser (K. Todd Freeman) who is hospitalized but still refuses to change his life, etc. Disjointed and uninvolving for the first half but film begins to get more potent and affecting in its second half but just as it draws you in, its wrap-up is abrupt and disappointing. Film doesn’t end so much as stop. Waterston and Freeman are strong; Stewart is her usual one-note expressive self.

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“The Big Short” (*** out of four) was an absorbing look at the 2008 financial collapse and how it directly affected the real estate and housing market as shown through the eyes of several workers in the financial community (Christian Bale, Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt among others). Bombards you with information at an overbearing pace at times but still a compelling and at times harrowing look at the eventual recession and how it led to millions of people being out of their homes and out of work. Strongly acted by all and very well directed by Adam McKay who has made an interesting companion piece to “Margin Call” and “Inside Job.”

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“Robert The Doll” (* out of four) was a lifeless thriller supposedly based on true events set in London about a family who begin to experience scary supernatural events at their house when their son acquires a creepy doll named Robert. Yet another would-be horror movie about a killer doll but this one makes “Annabelle” or any of the “Child’s Play” sequels look like the height of terror and excitement. Being based on a true story doesn’t make it a story worth re-telling. Lock this one in your closet.

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“Stonewall” (** out of four) was an overlong, overdone drama about the historic Stonewall Riots in NYC that started the gay liberation movement and one young man in particular (Jeremy Irvine) who is caught up in this movement and with the many others involved. Interesting time period documents how gays were victimized and at war with the NYC police and sheds light on a little known part of history but it’s tough to take at times and many of the characters are hard to care about and portrayed as caricatures. Obviously, a personal project and a change-of-pace for openly gay blockbuster director Roland Emmerich (“Independence Day”, “Godzilla”, “2012”).

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“The Forest” (** out of four) was an elegant but empty horror thriller set in Japan as a determined young teacher (“Game Of Thrones”‘ Natalie Dormer) goes in search of her twin sister (also played by Dormer) into a mysterious Japanese forest with a tourist (Taylor Kinney) and she is confronted by supernatural surroundings and gradually begins to lose her mind. Film has mood, atmosphere, and a terrific performance from Dormer but lacks scares and excitement to keep you watching. Speaking of which, someone at the controls evidently watched “The Blair Witch Project” several times before filming this.

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