Ladies of Steel

 

        From Finland, this unexpected comedy tells the story of Inkeri, a 75-year-old woman who kills her husband with a frying pan to the head. Expecting to be inevitably arrested, she first embarks upon a road trip with her two older sisters.

      While on the road, Inkeri deals with her unique sisters and looks back on her life.  At the same time, her birthday approaches and her very intense daughter, busy trying to plan a surprise party has no idea what has transpired or where her mother has gone.

        As the three women make their way across Finland, there are encounters with hitchhikers, long lost loves, younger men, and lots of drinking and bickering. The three sisters played by Leena Uoltila (Inkeri, Saara Pakkasvirta (Sylvi, and Seela Sella (Raili) are wonderful fully realized characters and it is refreshing to see older characters portrayed in this way. It is a celebration of life, love and family.

East of the Mountains

 

             Tom Skerritt stars as Ben Givens, a terminally ill, retired heart surgeon who embarks on one last hunting trip with his dog Rex, intending to end his life. They venture into the mountains of Eastern Washington State but things do not turn out as planned.

             Mr. Skerritt who is 87 years old but still remarkably spry is just terrific. He is in just about every scene and gives a very emotional and at times physically demanding performance as he looks back on his past and assesses his future. 

              The film contains some surprising moments of suspense and yet is filled with warmth and grace. The camera captures the beautiful landscapes of Eastern Washington and has very engaging co-stars, Annie Gonzales, Wally Dalton and as Ben's concerned daughter, Mira Sorvino. 

Too Late

           

          An American Indie comedy from director D. W. Thomas and writer Tom Becker, tells the story of comedy club booking agent, Violet Fields. Violet, played by Alyssa Limperis, works at the comedy club "Too Late" owned by "legendary" comic Bob DeVore. What most people don't know is that on the dark of the moon, Bob turns into a creature with an insatiable appetite for people. 

          The film mixes humor with horror in a silly way, occasionally funny but not at all scary. Co-starring at Ron Lynch and Will Weldon. Fred Armisen and Mary Lynn Rajskub have cameos and the cast features many lesser-known standup comics so there are a few solid laughs. 

           Credit Ms. Thomas for going with prosthetics rather than CGI on the special effects giving the film an old school look. The film never takes itself too seriously. It has a low budget feel but genuine heart.

Father

    

     From Serbia comes this new drama about one man's determination to reunite his family. Nikola, a day worker with no full-time job learns that his wife is in the hospital and social services has taken away his teenage son and young daughter.

     The corrupt official at his small town's Center for Social Services make it almost impossible for Nikola to see his children, let alone get them back. With no funds at his disposal, he leaves the town on foot to walk 300 kilometers to Belgrade to appeal to the central government ministry.

      For the majority of the film, we watch as Nikola struggles to cross the county. Along the way, he encounters various obstacles. Random other people, both good and bad, political corruption, physical pain and exhaustion, as well as, acts of kindness.

      Nikola is played by Bosnian actor Goran Bogdan, and with little dialog, his pain, hope and determination is written all over his face. The film is quite emotional, especially in the last act and while the ending may surprise some, it is authentic for its time and place.

The Unknown Saint

           There is an old saying "we make plans and God laughs". This couldn't be truer than this film from Morocco. When a thief, who is being chased by the police after a robbery, has his car breakdown in the middle of the desert, he decides to hide the money at the top of a one tree hill. He buries the money in a makeshift grave so no one will disturb it. The police catch up to him and arrest him. Sometime later when he released from prison, he goes back to retrieve the money only to find a shrine has been built around the "grave".

           The small village behind the hill had discovered the "grave" and built a shrine around it with a small fountain to make offerings to God. The thief, who is never mentioned by name, gets a room in the tiny hotel the town had built to accommodate visitors to the shrine, and waits for night to break in. From there, all his efforts to get to the money are thwarted one way or another.

            Younes Bouab plays the frustrated thief. He has no desire to interfere with the townspeople yet he is determined to get his money. There are only a few key characters beside the thief. A new doctor in town is also frustrated by the lack of real patients. The town barber also doubles as the town dentist and the shrine has a night guard and his dog that play an important role. There is also a farmer and his son who, in a twist of sorts, also play a key part. 

            The film is not billed as a comedy and yet, in a quiet, gentle way, it is very amusing and its fable like quality stayed with me for days.

This Town

           

         Fans of Christopher Guest's films will certainly enjoy this quirky and oddly charming, New Zealand comedy from writer, director, and star, David White. It is a credit to Mr. White that he can pull off a comedy based on a murder of a family in a small town.

         It's been a few years since Sean (played by Mr. White) has been found innocent of murdering his family but the residents of the small town of Thiston remain certain of his guilt. Sean tries to go about his life, even getting a girlfriend he meets through a dating app but ex-police officer, Pam (played by the wonderful Robyn Malcolm) doggedly pursues every lead, however absurd they may be, to finally get the evidence she needs to prove he is guilty

          

         Sean's girlfriend Casey is played by Alice May Connolly and the two have a wonderful chemistry as two oddballs made for each other. The other standout co-star is Rima Te Wiata, who plays the local tabloid reporter Janice, looking to cash in on the story..

         While the thought of the murder itself is horrendous, the film downplays the crime instead focusing on the extremely weird and funny thoughts and actions of the lead characters and all the townspeople. All the characters often speak directly to the camera with their thoughts and opinions about Sean and the crime and Mr. White strikes a delicate balance between the absurdist humor and "true crime" aspect that ignites the plot. 

The Spy

          

       Based on a true story (well at least rumors of a true story), this new Swedish drama recounts the story of Norwegian-Swedish actress, Sonja Wigert, who became an undercover operative for the Swedish government during World War Two. Not interested at first, but when her father is arrested by the Nazis, in order to free him, Sonja reluctantly agrees to become a pawn for the Nazi's ReichsKomissar, Josef Terboven. She secretly spies on Terboven for the Swedes but her loyalty is tested when he asks her to spy on Sweden for him. 

        The film stars Ingrid Bolso Berdal, who bears quite the resemblance to the real Wigert. Ms. Berdal is a vision in 1940's glamour and she pulls off the intricate role beautifully. The tension mounts as Sonja must act as a double agent while also carrying on an affair with a Hungarian Diplomat who is also a Nazi sympathizer.

        The excellent cinematography as well as the sets and exquisite costumes all combine to bring the stylish and suspenseful story to vivid life.

The Heist of The Century

          

      Based on a true story, this new film from Argentina recounts one of the largest bank robberies in Argentina's history. A bored artist and self-proclaimed stoner, Fernado (played by Diego Perreti) decides to rob the Banco Rio believing it will give his life meaning. He puts together a ragtag team of six middle-aged accomplices to help him pull it off.

       The film co-stars Guillermo Francella, as Mario (who steals the film), Pablo Rago as Sebastian, Mariano Argento as Debauza, Juan Alari as Paisa and Rafael Ferro as Alberto. Six men you would never suspect to pull off an intricate heist as the one Fernado puts together. With diverse personalities and lots of charm, the five actors have great chemistry and it is a sheer delight to watch them pull together, despite different motives, to rob the bank.

        Fun and yet suspenseful, fans of this genre (who doesn't like a good heist flick?) will absolutely enjoy the novel way they carry out the robbery.

Slalom

   

        From France, comes this timely look at sexual abuse in sports. The story is set in the world of competitive skiing, specifically the women's downhill Slalom. The film stars Noee Albita as a 15-year-old ski prodigy and Jeremie Renier as her coach. When we first meet the characters, Lyza is starting her training with a group of other kids.  Her coach recognizes her talent and pushes her to compete as hard as she can, while at the same time, an infatuation with his star begins to show in obvious ways.

     The setup is perfect for Lyza's situation as "prey". Her parents are divorced and dad is not in her life. Mom works in a different city and Lyza is basically on her own at her school. Seeking a father figure, she becomes far too attached to her coach, who seizes on the opportunity to take advantage of her. Subtle at first, things escalate and Lyza becomes emotionally damaged with growing feelings of helplessness, guilt and misplaced longing. It begins to affect her school work which in turn threatens her skiing. With bad grades, she can longer continue to train. Her saving grace comes when she is on the slopes but as she loses herself in her conflicting relationship with her coach, even her talent becomes threatened.

       It can be a difficult film to watch as the brilliance of the acting makes it all too real. Ms. Albita is heartbreaking wearing her conflicting emotions on her sleeve and as her "predator", Mr. Renier is far too believable. The two stars have a remarkable chemistry of trust to portray these characters in this heinous situation. 

       The tension becomes almost unbearable as you wonder if Lyza will succumb to the physical and emotional pressure. Directed by Charlene Favier, who also wrote the screenplay, "Slalom" pulls no punches in an honest look at what has been brought to light in the world of women's sports. 

Riders of Justice

      

       Written and directed by Anders Thomas Jensen, this Danish black comedy-drama is familiar, yet very unique in its own way. The film stars Mads Mikkelsen (a frequent collaborator with Mr. Jensen) as Markus, a soldier stationed in Afghanistan who flies home in the aftermath of a family tragedy.

       What he believes to have been an accident, is soon put into question when Markus meets Otto, a statistician, who survives the tragic event.  He convinces Markus that the incident wasn't an accident but an assassination and that Markus must help him take revenge on those responsible.

        Otto has two oddball, yet genius friends to help gather evidence against the people they believe caused the incident. If not for the eventual violence, the film could stand alone as weird buddy comedy between the four men.  The film co-stars Nikoaj Lie Kaas, Lars Brygmann, Nicolas Bro, and Andrea Heick Gadeberg, well known Danish actors who are all terrific this unusual story.

        Unusual, because it's not just another revenge story. It also asks bigger questions, such as how the role of statistics and coincidence can steer one's direction in life. Also, the impact of the "butterfly effect". How one small thing can escalate and have an even bigger impact on total strangers.

       While filled with some truly funny and crazy moments, the story packs an unexpected emotional punch and an ending that you won't forget.

Love Type D

            

           This new British "romantic comedy" is actually more of an "anti-romantic comedy" that deconstructs the genre.  Maeve Dermody plays an unlucky in love woman who is endlessly dumped by the men in her life. When Wilbur, the 11-year-old brother of her latest boyfriend gives her the bad news, she ends up befriending the smarter than his age, Wilbur, and together they discover the type D gene. Their relationship reminded me of the film" About A Boy".

            The Type D gene is a genetic marker than makes certain people the "dumpees" in relationships. Tovah Feldshuh plays the scientist that discovers the gene and runs an institute to help people with the condition.  Maeve must go back and reunite with all her past boyfriends who dumped her, only to dump them in order to become the "dumper" and "fix" her condition. Witten and directed by Sasha Collington, it's a quirky little comedy with an original concept that plays the genre against type.

Deadly Cuts

         This independent comedy from Ireland comes with a bit of a bite. In the classic structure of "The Full Monty" and "Made in Dagenham", this new film tells the story of the "underdog" women of the "Deadly Cuts" hair salon trying to survive poverty and a menacing gang in their small Irish town.

         The women want to enter a National Hair competition that will bring fame and business to their shop and town. Dirty politicians, jealous rivals and a little bit of murder are just few of the roadblocks facing them along the way.

         The four leads are well written characters, each with their own quirks and issues. The townsfolk are quite a bunch of characters in their own right, especially some of the faithful customers of the salon. It's a lighthearted romp with just a shade of dark thrown in to give it an edge.

Nobody

       

     A new action thriller that is incredibly violent and stars against type, the always excellent Bob Odenkirk. We've seen this before, one hero takes on, in this case, the Russian mob but not quite in this context.

      There are many surprising moments right from the opening scene as well as subtle sight gags and dialog. Mr. Odenkirk is perfectly cast as Hutch Mansell, a "nobody" family man but of course, harboring a secret past. While unusual to see him as an action hero, he is up to the task. Credit the writer, Derek Kolstad and director, Ilya Naishuller, to pull no punches showing off his skills but yet also showing his vulnerability. As they say, he "takes a licking but keeps on ticking".

       The film co-stars Connie Nielsen as Hutch's wife, Christopher Lloyd as his dad, and RZA as his half-brother. Aleksei Serebryakov plays a very scary Russian crime boss. Bullet's fly, things blow up, and there are multiple fight scenes that don't hold back on the bloodshed, but many of these scenes are shot in new and novel ways. It's very over the top yet offers, what passes for, a reasonable explanation for Mr. Odenkirk's call to action.

         The ending sets up the possibility of a sequel and there is a clever mid-credit extra scene. If you are a fan of this genre, you will probably enjoy this film quite a bit. If not, skip it and you've missed nothing. Or should I say, Nobody.