FIVE COOL FLICKS CHALLENGE THE EXPECTED
SIDE EFFECTS
It’s hard to describe fully this twisty flick and not hurt the viewing experience for those who have yet to see it. Suffice it to say the surprises are so sneaky that it suddenly becomes a provocative thriller just when you least expected it. Certainly this is the best Stephen Soderbergh film in a very long time. The story’s about successful New York couple Emily and Martin (Rooney Mara and Channing Tatum) and how they deal with the unexpected side effects when Emily’s shrink (Jude Law) prescribes a new drug to treat anxiety. Too bad Alfred Hitchcock is no longer around because this is exactly the kind of story he would have shaped into one of his iconic films.
WARM BODIES
Zombie movies are everywhere these days – and more are on the way. Here’s a sweet, funny, ridiculous, ironic and clever twist on a genre and a premise that still has, uhm, life. Essentially a love story between a highly unusual zombie named R and a human named Julie who is rescued by R after a zombie epidemic. Their forbidden, exciting and comical romance not only makes R more human, but also “infects” the whole zombie world. This offbeat, zombie-com caught me off guard with its smart, hip humor and satisfyingly sweet ending.
New for the home theater:
SAMASARA
Like it or not, we are all part of the great cycle of birth, life and death. It is not an option. Ron Fricke’s stunning, at times transcendent film is named for the Sanskrit word for “the ever turning wheel of life.” It is in fact a guided meditation that is a near immersive audio and visual dream that conjures the state of life on our home planet. Fricke and producer Mark Magidson, whose previous award-winning films BARAKA and CHRONOS also combined superb visual and aural artistry, have raised the bar with their new release. Shot in twenty-five countries over nearly five years on 65mm Super Panavision film and transferred to 8k digital files, the resulting film is breathtaking. Each frame is richly nuanced in with light, color and detail. It is perhaps the best-looking Blu-ray I have ever seen. The movie takes us on a journey that explores sacred spaces, religious rituals, disturbing industrial sites, places of waste, poverty and overwhelming natural beauty. This sensory experience reminds we are all one family with the basic desires. We are wired to the mysterious rhythms and rituals that attempt to us meaning during our short stay in this dimension. For some, this may all be heavy handed, but I was hypnotized by the beautiful images and both provoked and comforted by the ideas embedded within. MPI. Blu-ray.
THE SESSIONS
When I read the recent article in the Los Angeles Times about the real sex surrogate on which Helen Hunt based her character, I was frankly a little put off. No offense to the principals, but it struck me as a strangely open marriage for profit. Therapy or not, there was a freak factor about the couple and their arrangement. The movie for the most part bypasses these unsettling (to me) elements. I liked the straightforward way in which sex is dealt as is the religious theme – both sensitive subjects, even in our so-called post-modern age. The movie is often unexpectedly funny as well as quite touching. Helen Hunt gives a brave, surprisingly restrained performance as the sex surrogate. John Hawkes, the incapacitated adult virgin who resides mostly in an iron lung, does all of his acting with his face. THE SESSIONS is based on California based poet and journalist Mark O’Brien’s autobiographical account of losing his virginity at the age of 38 with the help of a priest and a therapist. THE SESSIONS is an unorthodox love story about two human connecting on more than a physical level. Extras include deleted scenes and five fascinating featurettes on the production, acting process and “The Women Who Loved Mark O’Brien.” 20th Century Fox. Blu-ray.
SKYFALL
Sam Mendes brings Bond surging back with a smart, sexy, riveting, action thriller that qualifies as not only one of the best 007 films but also among the best films of the year. After 50 years, this sleek 23rd entry in the franchise keeps it fresh, unpredictable, accessible and hugely satisfying. So far, the film has grossed over a billion bucks. And that’s before home video! Daniel Craig is the best Bond since Sean Connery. SKYFALL redefines Bond for our time in a relevant yet timeless manner. The storyline has Bond’s loyalty to M (Judi Dench) tested when her past returns to haunt her. With MI6 now compromised from within and without, M is left with only one ally she can trust: Bond. 007 retreats to the shadows – helped only by field agent Eve (Naomi Harris) – following a trail to the mysterious Silva (Javier Bardeem), whose lethal and hidden motives son reveal themselves in a final and deadly confrontation — for both Bond and M.
Brilliantly, state of the art production values on every level make this a superior and thrilling viewing experience. Generous extras include more than a dozen featurettes. The two commentaries are actually insightful and fascinating. MGM. Blu-ray. RobinESimmons@aol.com
