Crisp Criticism - "Rush", "Simon Killer", "I'm So Excited", "Baggage Claim", "Stories We Tell", "Ain't Them Bodies Saints"

by

Julien Faddoul

Rush *

Formula One rivals, British James Hunt and Austrian Niki Lauda, both strive for the 1976 World Drivers’ Championship.

Energized but overblown sports picture depicting its central conflict as a monumental stage in human virtuosity. Its excess of style is bolstered by one terrific performance.

d – Ron Howard

w – Peter Morgan

ph – Anthony Dod Mantle

pd – Mark Digby

m – Hans Zimmer

ed – Mike Hill, Dan Hanley

cos – Julian Day

p – Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Andrew Eaton, Peter Morgan, Brian Oliver, Eric Fellner

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Bruhl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara, Pierfrancesco Favino, Christian McKay, Stephen Mangan, Natalie Dormer

Simon Killer

After moving to Paris because of a break-up, a young American develops a relationship with a stripper and together they become criminals.

Overly slick and hollow character study with long, Bertolucci-like shots of sex and piercing, Kubrick-like sound. It adds up to very little.

d – Antonio Campos

w – Antonio Campos, Brady Corbet, Mati Diop

ph – Joe Anderson

pd – Nicolas de Boiscuille

m – Daniel Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans

ed – Babak Jalali, Zachary Stuart-Pontier

p – Sean Durkin, Josh Mond, Matt Palmieri

Cast: Brady Corbet, Mati Diop, Nicolas Ronchi, Constance Rousseau, Lila Salet

I’m So Excited ***

When a Spanish flight to Mexico is experiencing landing trouble, the crew and the passengers begin to open up with one another.

Outrageous, robust Almodovar outing complete with gay stewards, a retired dominatrix, a psychic virgin and a Pointer Sisters musical number. It is reminiscent of the director’s earlier, more flighty work.

wd – Pedro Almodovar

ph – Jose Luis Alcaine

pd – Antxon Gomez

m – Alberto Iglesias

ed – Jose Salcedo

cos – David Delfin, Tatiana Hernandez

p – Agustin Almodovar

Cast: Carlos Areces, Javier Cámara, Raúl Arévalo, Lola Dueñas, Hugo Silva, Antonio de la Torre, José Luis Torrijo, José María Yazpik, Cecilia Roth, Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, Carmen Machi, Blanca Suárez, Guillermo Toledo, Paz Vega, Miguel Ángel Silvestre, Laya Martí

Baggage Claim

Pledging to keep herself from being the oldest and the only woman in her entire family never to wed, a flight attendant embarks on an expedition to charm a potential suitor into becoming her fiancé.

Dire and deplorable comedy that cajoles nothing but embarrassment for everyone concerned.

wd – David E. Talbert   (Based on the Novel by David E. Talbert)

ph – Anastas N. Michos

pd – Dina Lipton

m – Aaron Zigman

ed – Troy Takaki

cos – Maya Lieberman

p – David E. Talbert, Steven J. Wolfe

Cast: Paula Patton, Derek Luke, Taye Diggs, Boris Kodjoe, Trey Songz, Jill Scott, Adam Brody, Jenifer Lewis, Djimon Hounsou, Lauren London, Christina Milian

Stories We Tell ***

Filmmaker Sarah Polley interviews family, friends and acquaintances, asking them to tell stories from their past, predominately about her deceased mother.

A winning and engrossing fantasist, Kiarostami-esque documentary with multiple coatings. Although not perfect, it is incredibly moving in its dissection of people’s need to tell stories both for amusement and illumination.

wd – Sarah Polley

ph – Iris Ng

pd – Lea Carlson

ed – Mike Munn

cos – Sarah Armstrong

p – Anita Lee

 

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints

An escaped convict searches for his wife and daughter.

Another in the recent crop of small movies that borrow the Malickian aesthetic and do nothing new with it.

wd – David Lowery

ph – Bradford Young

pd – Jade Healy

m – Daniel Hart

ed – Craig McKay

cos – Jane Rizzo

p – Cassian Elwes, Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston, Amy Kaufman, Lars Knudsen, Jay Van Hoy

Cast: Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Keith Carradine, Nate Parker