Wendy and Lucy

Wendy and Lucy (dir. Kelly Reichardt)

* * *

A girl and her dog find themselves stranded on their way to a better life Kelly Reichardt's follow-up to her warmly received Old Joy. Michelle Williams stars as Wendy, a luckless drifter looking to find work in Alaska, and Lucy (the director's dog, which also appeared in Old Joy) is her faithful canine companion. when Wendy's car breaks down, she finds herself stranded in a nowhere town in Oregon. Reichardt favors simple, unadorned storytelling, and here she chronicles Wendy's mounting troubles in an unhurried and level-headed way - there's no room for Von Trier-ian histronics, just the plain fact of a life lived on the ever-furthering margins. Williams keeps things close to the hilt, only letting us in at key moments - a confrontation with a stranger, and an act of touching sacrifice. As we hear a predictable new round of hyperbole about the coming of new New Deal in American society, cinematic representations of such bleak struggles become increasingly relevant. Modest, and a success.

Surveillance

Surveillance (dir. Jennifer Chambers Lynch)

* * *

Reviled by critics expecting something a little more, well, Lynchian, Surveillance has more in common with Verhoeven or Cronenberg than with her father's considerably more obtuse output. Instead, it's a darkly comic thriller with an erotic bent where every killing is a punchline and every characterization is over-the-top. Bill Pullman and Julia Ormond star as a pair of eccentric detectives looking into a series of murders by separately interviewing the people who crossed paths with the killers - including a family of four, two crooked cops, and a coked-out couple. Lynch has her eye on pure pulp entertainment here, and she delivers in spades - even when depicting scenes of intense brutality, there's a detached sense of levity to much of the film. The "twist" that seems to be required in such films is hardly a surprise, and doesn't feel meant to be. If you're looking for Lost Highway you'll find yourself disappointed, but fans of colorful, entertaining thrillers should find themselves right at home.

Zack & Miri Make a Porno (review)

Zack & Miri Make a Porno

Directed by Kevin Smith

Kevin Smith's debut feature, Clerks, was a potty-mouthed revelation when it came out fourteen years ago. But in the intervening years of Judd Apatow, South Park and American Pie, what was once an outrageous breath of fresh air has quickly come quotidian. And so the question becomes: does Smith as a director try to raise the bar in filthy comedy, or move on to different, more "mature" pastures. The answer is a bit of both.

Smith's latest film, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, tells the story of two platonic best friends, Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) who live together in suburban Pittsburgh. Best friends since grade school, their friendship seems to be based largely on the fact that they are such total social misfits that they are the only two people who can stand each other. And like most lost, late 20 something souls, they are both pathetically bad with money, leading to mountings bills and the constant threat of eviction or the shutting off of utilities.

After particularly embarrassing themselves at their ten year high school reunion, the two friends return home to find that in fact, their power and heat have finally been shut off. Desperate and despondent they hole up in their local bar to try to brainstorm a way out of their dire financial straights. The usually unambitious Zack, inspired by a chance encounter with gay porn star (a particularly funny cameo by Justin Long) Brandon, somehow manages to convince Miri that the answer to their problems is to make and sell an adult film that they themselves will star in.

The plot then turns into a sort of Andy Hardy style "let's put on a show" story, with Zack and Miri assembling a rag-tag crew to help them in with their lofty and looney plan. In a lot of ways this is where the film really starts to shine as one of Smith's definite strong points is his ability to gather together comedic talent and the cast contains more than a few treats for both film nerds and fans of Smith's films in particular.

View Askew standbys Jason Mewes (Jay) and Jeff Anderson (Randal) make appearances as a porno stud and cameraman respectively, the notorious Traci Lords stars as the matronly Bubbles, while contemporary porn star Katie Morgan shows considerable comedy chops as the ditzy Stacy and Craig Robinson practically steals the show as Zack's coworker/producer, Delaney. Notable cameos include effects whiz (and Pittsburgh native) Tom Savini as a shady garage owner, Superman Brandon Ruth as a deeply closeted former high school hottie and Canada's own Kenny Hotz of Kenny Vs. Spenny fame as the deeply annoying Zack II.

Despite all the bare boobies (there are plenty) and a little bush, make no mistake: this is a romantic comedy, with the real dilemma being how Zack and Miri's friendship will survive their on screen carnal encounter. And while it is easy to dismiss both Smith and Rogen as belonging to some sort of man-boy chauvinist’s club, the drama of the film really comes from Smith's exploration of the differences between the sexes. While Rogen is basically playing a slightly more eloquent version of his Knocked Up persona, Smith smartly puts his focus on Bank's Miri, who turns in a touching and relatable performance as a sensitive but unconventional girl trying to protect herself from yet another heartbreak.

However, like most films in this genre, the central love story does require quite a bit of suspension of disbelief in order to play out. The idea that a shlub like Zack would not have already slept with someone as hot as Miri (or at least made a serious attempt) is particularly hard to swallow, as is the reason these two losers still hang out together. But film is fantasy, and if you are able to let these two minor details slide, the inevitable conclusion does contain some of Smith's most genuine and touching dialogue about love since Chasing Amy.

The biggest problem with the film is more that the conclusion really is telegraphed too far in advance, particularly if you are familiar with Smith's brand of vulgar romanticism; and the overuse of the "misfits make good" plotline. But, as was pointed out earlier, this is a romantic comedy and these types of films rely on formula, even if the formula in this case happens to include shit-showers and strap-ons. The central characters also feel somewhat underdeveloped, but the performances and charm displayed by Rogen and Banks mostly make up for this.

While far from Smith's best (that would be Chasing Amy), Zack and Miri Make a Porno is a far sight better than Jersey Girl, and should appeal to both View Askew fans and girls who think that testicle jokes are funny. And you get to see Jason Mewes' penis, if you're into that sort of thing.

Mariko McDonald

The Good, The Bad, The Weird

The Good, The Bad, The Weird

Director Kim Jo-Woon (Tale of Two Sisters) brings the biggest and most expensive Korean film to date. This isn’t surprising considering its ingenious special effects, massive chase sequences and non stop acting from start to finish. Unapologetic, over the top, absorb and it never give you more than a minute to breathe without hammering in enough violence and action to have you grinning from ear to ear. Kim Jo- Woon brings a mash up of Spaghetti Westerns, Mad Max with the touch of John Woo direction. If you’re a fan of classic western stand offs, Kung Fu wire work, and some great comedy, this is for you.

Man On Wire

Man On Wire (dir. James Marsh)

* * * 1/2

Through an artful blend of staged reenactments and archival footage, James Marsh has assembled a compelling look at Philippe Petit, a mischievous high-wire artist who performed a series of breathtaking wire walks, culminating in his walk between the two towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. Much of the film is focused on the mechanics of pulling off the stunt - an act compared to an elaborate bank heist, complete with a motley crew of like-minded conspirators. The film gets a lot of deserving traction out of the idea that it is necessary to circumvent society to create true moments of beauty. Petit's work is indeed beautiful - only a hardened cynic could look upon his midair grace and not be moved - but Marsh doesn't idealize his subject, refusing to gloss over a key moment of betrayal that is at once tragically in-character and completely callous. As it turns out, however, Petit's art is far larger than his hubris, and we can only delight in witnessing his accomplishments.

Detroit Metal City

Detroit Metal City

Based on the Japanese manga come the first time feature from director Toshiro Lee. DMC follows Negishi Soichi a small town farm boy who makes his way to Tokyo for the first time with dreams of becoming a trendy pop star. While attending University, he joins the songwriter’s club and practices his acoustical set, but fails to make any career within that genre. Flash forward a few years and Negishi finds musical success in the metal band DMC where he takes on the persona of Sir Krauser and is viewed upon as a Metal God. The only problem is Negishi secretly hates metal music and tries t break free from his monstrous identity.

Teen Icon Ken`Ichi Matsuyama plays double roles as the painfully nerdy Negishi and the outrageous and offensive Krauser. Watching his performance in juggling the two indemnities is worth the price of admission alone. However audiences will find themselves just as pleased with the soundtrack, supporting roles and physical comedy gags.