3 out of 5. Noah Baumbach's black and white film FRANCES HA pins down what it's like to go after ones dreams and fall short. In the easily likable character of Frances, played by Greta Gerwig, you get a sense of someone who's spirited outlook on life seems indomitable. Her forward motion doesn't take time to ponder to long before going onto the next thing. Which is easily frustrating for those around her. She won't be kept down for long before bouncing back into some other wish fulfillment. It makes those who are somewhat jaded (moi?) and serious long for that bit of adolescent naivete in their daily life. It's a very refreshing film and very New York.
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3 out of 5. It's rare when a documentary director finds such a unique angle. Joshua Oppenheimer's THE ACT OF KILLING could have been a Ken Russell film. It was bizarre right from the start and a little unnerving how matter-of-fact the death squad leaders were about their "jobs". When they recreated the scenes of murder in lavish crime numbers or musical numbers, the haunting pallor would blanket the people involved. You could see the thousand yard stare of reliving history in their eyes. This is brave filmmaking and Oppenheimer does an excellent job at capturing it. Not for everyone, but everyone should watch if nothing more than to understand what humans are capable of.
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4 out of 5. Director Benh Zeitlin found the right alchemy with people and place in BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD. As far as indie films go, which I do not watch many, this has opened my eyes to some fantastic possibilities. Perhaps it was his short film GLORY AT SEA that got me excited to see his feature. It's smart storytelling with an intensely successful DIY approach to just about everything. I say this because they get a lot of mileage out of so little. The Art Direction of this film is as textured and prevalent as the acting. Easily one of the best films I saw last year.
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