New Releases

Already in limited release, Your Sister's Sister opens wide this week. This charming comedy written and directed by Lynn Shelton, like her previous film Humpday, tackles an unconventional sexual situation.

Jack (Mark Duplass) is unemployed and lacks direction in life. Frustration at the untimely death of his brother Tom and life in general prompts an angry outburst at the group of friends gathered for a wake. Consoling him, best friend and brother's partner Iris (Emily Blunt) tells him to spend some time at her father's island cabin. There, with no TV, no phone and no distractions, he'll be able to clear his head and find a renewed sense of purpose.

Jack bikes out to the island (taking a ferry) and arrives to find the cabin is already occupied by Iris's sister Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt), a lesbian who has just ended her seven-year relationship and plans to drink her cares away. Together, they empty a bottle of tequila, and after Jack confesses his attraction Hannah agrees to sleep with him.  When Iris arrives the next morning, the stage is set for the eventual revelations that all three have been keeping secrets from each other.

With only a 70-page script, the dialogue in Your Sister's Sister was largely improvised, giving it a natural and believable feel. The movie was shot in 12 days in Seattle, and the camera frequently cuts to stunning swaths of Washington landscape. With its extremely small cast of characters and limited number of locations, and clocking only about 90 minutes, this would have worked quite well as a stage play.  

With that abbreviated script, Shelton foregoes many details, resulting in characters with amorphous backgrounds. By the end of the film we still know almost nothing about Jack except that he's unemployed, lacks direction in life, and likes to cook. Hannah's occupation and Iris's exact relation to Jack's brother Tom are likewise unclear. As with a watercolor painting, the details are less important than the general impressions, and though we know little of the characters' backstories, they are no less believable. They are caught up in a mutual turning point in their lives, and we are in it with them.

It's been nice to look forward to a Pixar movie again. I had next to no interest in Cars 2, and to tell you the truth, hadn't been especially thrilled about Toy Story 3, either. Adding to the anticipation was learning that Brave would have a female character in the lead (not something Pixar has done before unless you count Elastigirl in The Incredibles, which you just might) and as well, one of its directors would be a woman (Brenda Chapman, also credited as a co-writer).

Brave reminded me that Pixar's parent company is Disney. Brave could have very easily been the latest evolution of the Disney princess movie -- the tropes are nearly all either present, or intentionally turned on their head. Only the very superior trademark animation quality and the voice of John Ratzenberger are any indication that this is a Pixar film.

Merida (Kelly Macdonald), a teenager in long-ago Scotland, doesn't want to conform to her queenly mother's (Emma Thompson) ideas of how a princess should behave. She loves archery and horseback riding and her freedom, not embroidery and tightly corseted dresses. Her father (Billy Connolly) encourages her usually, but both her parents are at a loss when Merida refuses to cooperate in the contest between the heads of the clans in her kingdom for a young man to win her hand in marriage. In an act of desperation, Merida finds a magical means to change her fate, only to find that sometimes magic can play cruel tricks with wishes.

There's an understanding you need to have with yourself before you sit down and watch a movie called Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. You've got to understand that you're about to sit down and watch a movie called Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. You've got to know that what you're about to see isn't going to be on the list of films in a discussion that comprise some of the greatest films of all time. This new high-concept film from Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) brings an aura of ridiculousness to the legacy of our 16th U.S. President, Abraham Lincoln. But it's fun. It's a lot of fun.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter begins as an older President Lincoln (Benjamin Walker, who does an amazing job channeling a young Liam Neeson) is writing in a journal. As he begins telling the story of his life, at one point he tells the story of the death of his mother. He witnessed a man break into his home and infect his mother with some disease that slowly killed her. Filled with rage, he lived his life waiting for the moment to exact his revenge only to discover that the target of his rage could not be killed, because he is a vampire. Henry (Dominic Cooper) turns out to be an expert on vampires and trains young Lincoln in the ways of vampire hunting.

Walker and Cooper prove to be a very good pair on screen, but where the film really excels is in the action scenes. There's only one action sequence that is riddled with bad CGI but every other sequence is great. The slo-mo seems a little overdone at times, but when Walker is spinning that axe around, it will seem like there haven't been very many things in horror movies quite as cool as those scenes.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a unique film. Every flaw in this film, of which there are many, can be easily pointed out. It fast forwards through too much of Lincoln's life, specifically his courtship with Mary Todd. It's written lazily. At one point Henry says there's a reason that vampires can walk around in sunlight, but then never explains it. The CGI is really bad a lot of the times. There's an incredibly silly and almost cringe-inducing chase during a horse stampede that will reinforce this point. There are many other flaws, but those are the most glaring.

Imagine for a moment that the film Armageddon had turned out differently. What if Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck failed to blow up the "planet killer" headed towards Earth? Well, look no further. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World picks up where this hypothetical rewrite of Armageddon ends.

Steve Carell plays Dodge, a typical shlub who hears about the failure of the aformentioned mission via legacy media: the radio. Seconds after hearing this news Dodge's wife opens the car door, exits and runs away, never to be seen again. This is the beginning of the end in Dodge's meager existence.

In the ensuing days we see Dodge return to work as a phone rep for an insurance company -- he and a few other sad sacks just don't seem to get it. Why the heck are these people wasting their last days at some depressing corporate gig? Soon Dodge returns home to his apartment where he is greeted by his housekeeper busily cleaning his house. Dodge cannot find it in his heart to tell her not to come back, which seems to illustrate just how beaten down and timid he has become.

Dodge eventually finds himself at an end-of-the-world party being hosted by his best friends Warren and Diane (Rob Corddry and Austin favorite Connie Britton). They try to set Dodge up with an end-of-the-world romance. This love connection doesn't pan out and Dodge eventually returns home.

Upon returning home he has a chance encounter with his neurotic neighbor Penny (Keira Knightley). Eventually Penny hands Dodge a stack of mail that contains a letter from Dodge's lost love. This is where the adventure begins in Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. As riots break out around them, Penny and Dodge, now friends, set out to find Dodge's long-lost love.

Drafthouse Films released The FP this week on DVD and Blu-ray as well as digital video -on-demand (VOD) platforms;   Bullhead follows with a similar release on June 26. The FP, which premiered at SXSW 2011, is about gang wars that take place using a dance-fight video game. Academy award nominee Bullhead -- which also took home Fantastic Fest 2011 "Next Wave" Spotlight awards for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor -- is an intensive character study amidst the violent and disturbing world of a criminal beef trade. Read my Fantastic Fest review as well as Don's review for more about my favorite film of 2011.

To encourage sales of Drafthouse Films titles, the company launched a new "Drafthouse Alliance" membership program this week. A subscription (which costs about $125) allows members to receive either a Blu-ray or DVD along with digital download of a current Drafthouse Films title of their choice, as well as the next nine releases shipped automatically.

Modern Hollywood movies are sorely lacking in sociopolitical relevance. In this age of mindless comic book-based action spectaculars and focus-grouped romantic comedies, the American mainstream film industry has all but abandoned features that have anything to say about the human condition.

But do not abandon hope, all ye who enter the multiplex in search of thoughtful, provocative cinema; seek cinematic enlightenment and you shall find it, if all too rarely. You shall find it perhaps where least expected, as I recently did in a movie destined to be remembered as one of the finest films of this or any other year.

I refer, of course, to the cinematic triumph that is Adam Sandler's That's My Boy. This subtle, multilayered masterpiece of social criticism is the rare film that transcends mere excellence. It is, dare I say, important. Like no other film I've seen this year -- including Bobcat Goldthwait's poignant celebration of the human spirit, God Bless America -- That's My Boy holds us spellbound before a mirror that reflects who we are, where we've been and where we're going. It is the necessarily unflattering portrait of American life that Hollywood has left unpainted for far too long. And it is a film worthy of a somewhat scholarly analysis, rather than a brief review.

First and foremost, That's My Boy is a searing indictment of our crumbling educational infrastructure. At first glance, this story of a young teen who fathers his teacher's child in the early 1980s appears entirely prurient and superficial. But if you probe deeper into its significance, much the way young Donny (Justin Weaver) probes the alluring Ms. Mary McGarricle (Eva Amurri Martino) in the film's opening sequences, its metaphorical nature becomes readily apparent: Donny and his teacher's extracurricular activities no doubt symbolize the way our underfunded schools are totally screwing our children.

Tom Cruise proves you can't teach an old dog new tricks -- in this case, singing. Rock of Ages, a $70 million adaptation of the Broadway musical, brings rock to the Glee set. Unfortunately, it includes really bad vocal performances from Cruise, who has turned up the crazy past 11 to Rutger Hauer for his performance as a washed-up glam rocker. As burned-out hair band leader Stacee Jaxx, he twists and gyrates across the screen, thrusting a demon-head codpiece and spouting nonsensical philosophy. It is a character and a performance devoid of any subtlety.

Cruise takes backstage to the real star of the movie, Julianne Hough, last seen starring in Craig Brewer's 2011 remake of Footloose (my review). Here she proves she can not only dance but is also a talented singer, as is costar Diego Boneta. Duets with the two of them work well and showcase their natural chemistry. Their rendition of "More Than Words" was more enjoyable than the original.

Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand are practically in their own movie-within-a-movie, and a film about just their characters would be more interesting than Rock of Ages was.

Mary J. Blige also appears in the film, and her mashup with Hough of "Harden My Heart" and "Shadows of the Night" was one of the most enjoyable numbers, as well as best suited to the action. Another mashup of "We Built This City" and "We're Not Gonna Take It" featuring Brand and Catherine Zeta-Jones doesn't work quite as well. Jones is the antagonist, as the wife of newly-elected mayor Bryan Cranston. Sadly, Cranston is barely used as more than set decoration.

The real problem with Rock of Ages (besides Cruise's singing) is that the movie feels too much like a Broadway musical. The first three scenes follow Hough as random strangers sing at her about personal details of her life, starting with "Sister Christian" sung by fellow bus passengers. Not unusual for stage musicals, but it prompted sniggers from the audience to help clear the cheese fog it left hanging in the room. It is difficult to compare to films like Chicago or Moulin Rouge; they're in a different class. The story is simpler, and the music doesn't gel as well in general.

Caught without an umbrella in a sudden downpour on my way to a movie at the IFC Center in New York City, I dashed into one of the many brightly lit shops along the Avenue of the Americas. Stunned and speechless, there before my eyes was a plethora of vibrators in all shapes, sizes and functions. The shop owner mistook my facial expression for discomfort, and offered her assistance in comforting words. I explained that I wasn't uncomfortable, but pleasantly amused. I had just seen the movie Hysteria and was titillated to encounter such an assortment, including items within a glass case that I can only describe as a futuristic concept in both name and design.

For centuries, doctors treated women for a variety of ailments collectively known as "female hysteria" through manual "pelvic massage" to cause "hysterical paroxysm," what is now recognized as an orgasm. Doctors suffered from fatigue of the wrists and hands from this work, and were therefore aided greatly by Dr. Joseph Mortimer Granville's patent in 1880 of the electromechanical vibrator. Granville's seminal work led to the vibrator being the fifth domestic appliance to be electrified -- the first ones were made available for retail by none other than Hamilton Beach in 1902. The romantic comedy Hysteria is a liberating dramatization of the circumstances surrounding Granville's invention, including subplots involving women's suffrage and inequality between social classes.

Mortimer Granville (Hugh Dancy) is a young doctor who is appalled by the blood-letting and other antiquated practices of "modern" medicine, and is considered a radical for speaking of Lister's germ theory and the need for antiseptic conditions. Dismissed from yet another position at the local hospital -- conveniently located next door to the morgue -- Granville is hired by Dr. Robert Dalrymple (Jonathan Pryce) to assist with his growing practice. Dr. Dalrymple specializes in treating female hysteria, and his clients are quick to schedule additional appointments with the handsome Mortimer who quickly masters the necessary skills to satisfy his female patients.

One thing cannot be denied about Ridley Scott's return to science fiction with Prometheus, and that is that this film is even more epic than it appears to be on the surface. His return to the genre comes with much fanfare and anticipation, and in a lot of ways Prometheus doesn't disappoint. It's absolutely beautiful to look at, the visual effects are stunning and it's even a good 3D movie. He's created this movie in a massive universe, one that we're all familiar with, yet the story is intimate and small. It's also filled with tension that only the creator of the Alien franchise can deliver.

In the mysterious opening sequence, a human-like being is left by a ship near a remarkable waterfall and he ingests something that kills him as he falls into the water, becoming nothing but ash and smoke. We learn later on that these are the beings who have left the paintings discovered by scientists Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green). Years after the couple's discovery, the Weyland-Utani corporation is funding an expedition to the planet where Shaw and Holloway think the "engineers" originated from, as well as the origination of our species.

The film itself is told in a very small world, but it reveals a much bigger universe than indicated in the Alien franchise. The most interesting thing about that fact is that Prometheus takes place many years before the events in the 1979 film Alien. So much further before than it shouldn't be considered a true prequel, as has been indicated by Ridley Scott already in several interviews.

Any expectations you have of this movie being related to Alien should be put on hold. That being said, there's still a lot of great stuff to focus on. Michael Fassbender's performance as David is beyond great and is every bit the great performance that Fassbender delivers on a consistent basis with every role he's in.

In local independent film events for Austin, for only $3 admission Cinema East hosts a screening this Sunday of Bob Byington's film Somebody Up There Likes Me with Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) in attendance for the Q&A. I missed the SXSW premiere, but in his SXSW review Don described the film as "a charmingly off-kilter examination of human relationships torn asunder." Don't forget your blanket or lawn chair, as well as cash for beer and hot dogs.

The Paramount Theatre Summer Film Series celebrates anniversaries of several classic films with double features that include a couple of my personal favorite films including Raising Arizona and the must-see psychological thriller masterpiece, The Manchurian Candidate. Tuesday and Wednesday's double-feature includes Ishtar and Raising Arizona and the double-feature on Thursday and next Friday includes The Manchurian Candidate and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. I highly recommend seeing The Manchurian Candidate on the big screen at the Paramount for the full impact of the suspense of this film.

And if Moonrise Kingdom isn't enough Wes Anderson for you, Alamo Kids' Camp is screening Fantastic Mr. Fox at Alamo Drafthouse Village on Monday through Thursday at 11 am. Admission is free but it's first-come, first-served and they do fill up quickly.

Movies We've Seen

Madagascar 3 -- Wayward zoo animals Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman continue their journey home to the Big Apple, with a detour through Europe. Mike says in his review, "Noah Baumbach's co-writing helps lift the Madagascar circus to the highest platform. Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages will all find something to love in this explosive conclusion to the trilogy." (wide)

Moonrise Kingdom -- The latest film from UT alum Wes Anderson is a quirky whimsical tale of two young lovers who flee their small New England town, wreaking havoc on those they've left behind. Jette raves in her review, "What makes Moonrise Kingdom such a memorable and lasting film, (is) that central relationship and the turns it takes throughout the movie." (Alamo South Lamar, Regal Arbor, Violet Crown Cinema)