Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Crisp Criticism - "Fifty Shades of Grey", "Dear White People", "Love is Strange"

by
Julien Faddoul













Fifty Shades of Grey *

A literature student meets a tormented billionaire and two of them have lots of sex.
Not particularly sexy adaptation of the insipid best seller that attempts to conjugate the sleekly with the unfettered. Like the book, the characters and situations make little sense, but unlike the book, it is more than inflated pornography.

d – Sam Taylor-Johnson
w – Kelly Marcel   (Based on the Novel by E.L. James)
ph – Seamus McGarvey
pd – David Wasco
m – Danny Elfman
ed – Lisa Gunning
cos – Mark Bridges

p – Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca, E.L. James

Cast: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Luke Grimes, Jennifer Ehle, Eloise Mumford, Rita Ora, Marcia Gay Harden, Max Martini



 










Dear White People **

Four black students attend an Ivy League college where a riot breaks out over an “African American” themed party thrown by white students.
Satirical look at racial politics amongst young people that is at times hilarious but isn’t nearly as urgent or plainspoken as it could’ve been. Despite its clearly clumsy construction, it offers a considerable talent in its young director.

wd – Justin Simien
ph – Topher Osborn
pd – Bruton Jones
m – Kathryn Bostic
ed – Phillip J. Bartell
cos – Toye Adedipe

p – Effie Brown, Ann Le, Julia Lebedev, Angel Lopez, Justin Simien, Lena Waithe

Cast: Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Kyle Gallner, Teyonah Parris, Brandon P. Bell, Brittany Curran, Dennis Haysbert, Justin Dobies













Love is Strange ***

After 39 years together, two men finally tie the knot, but one loses his job as a result, and the newlyweds must sell their New York apartment and live apart.
Honest, seemingly glancing variation of the Tokyo Story theme that depicts its central situation with startling insight and assuredness. The acting is impeccable.

d – Ira Sachs
w – Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias
ph – Christos Voudouris
pd – Amy Williams
ed – Affonso Goncalves, Michael Taylor
cos – Arjun Bhasin

p – Lucas Joaquin, Lars Knudsen, Ira Sachs, Jayne Baron Sherman, Jay Van Hoy

Cast: John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, Marisa Tomei, Darren E. Burrows, Charlie Tahan, Cheyenne Jackson, Manny Perez, Harriet Sansom Harris, Christian Coulson, Eric Tabach



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