Jason Lancaster

Directed by Andrew Stanton

The world has been covered in mountains of trash and debris. The people of Earth have left on a spaceship while an army of robots clean the planet. 700 years later one robot remains faithfully cleaning. His days of cleaning are interrupted as another robot lands and takes Wall-e on an incredible journey.

Andrew Stanton directs what is surely a classic in the making. Wall-e incorporates everything Disney and Pixar are known for with excellent sound by Ben Burtt. The visuals are always stunning and better than the previous Pixar film. Stanton also manages to add realistic emotion to a robot relationship that doesn’t come off as cheesy. This is a film anyone can enjoy and add to their collection.

Directed by Louis Malle

The Lovers debuted in 1958 and starred Jeanne Moreau. The film tells the tale of a wife who is married to a rich husband and has a young rich boyfriend. Even though she could get most anything she wants she is unhappy. On her way to a party for her friend and boyfriend she has car trouble and is picked up by a young hansom man that makes her laugh. The new young man is invited to stay over at her husband’s house along with her boyfriend. In the middle of the night, her passions overcome her and she chooses a lover.

The film had a good build up without getting too slow. The cinematography was very well done, especially for the time. The only downfall to the plot is the ending. It was a development that was too fast and unbelievable. Overall though the film was well done and keeps your attention the whole time.

Directed by Miguel Kohan

Kohan documents the tango style of music from its inception in the 1930’s Argentina to now. The film follows some of the most famous of the original “maestros” of the tango style and how the tango affected their lives. The maestros practice together and some have not seen each other for decades. The film ends with a final concert involving all the main players.

While this film followed the progression of the music and the performers it was also full of fluff. Most of the scenes were longer than they needed to be. The maestros themselves were not formally introduced, either on screen or through narration. There was no narration to guide the audience through the film and the scenes of the performances were longer than needed. Overall the film felt like a jumble of scenes put together in a loose order to reach the final performance at the end.

Directed by Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor

A young woman is missing and presumed dead on a college campus in Ireland and Helen (Annie Townsend) is selected to reenact the last moments of the missing girls life. Helen traces the last known steps of the missing girl while at the same time trying to find herself. This is a psychological film that follows the journey of the self.

This film has a great storyline and overall theme but was directed poorly and most people will find the film moves too slowly to hold their attention. The film should have progressed much faster and a new ending should have been added. The cinematography was simple but powerful. There was not enough action to be judged as good or bad. The film had a sense of anticipation in every scene but nothing happened. If redone correctly this would be a very worthwhile film. 

Directed by S.A.Halewood

Ben Barnes and Andrei Chadov play two young Russians that decide London is an easy target for theft and burglary. They travel to London and meet with a friend that gets them setup with two contacts: one for legitimate work and one for not so legitimate work. When the honest route is too slow they turn to the local crime racket. Their new choice will change both of their lives for life.

Bigga Than Ben is a well-written movie with humor, action, and drama. Ben Barnes has a believable Russian accent for a British actor. Humor is used in creative ways, especially with views about western culture and society. The ending is not what you might expect given the title but adds a sense of reality and takes this film from good to great. 

Directed by Lindsay Goodall 

Director Lindsay Goodall documents her grandmother’s struggle with Alzheimer’s disease and the hardship it places on the family. This film follows a discussion where Goodall and her grandmother (Irene) talk about staying at an assisted living home for a week. Irene repeatedly forgets and at one point believes she is going to France. She does eventually go to the assisted living home and returns.

Goodall shows the burden the family is under and the humor that holds them together. The film was short, concise, and presented in a way that kept the audience focused. Goodall also did a good job showing how Irene could not physically take care of herself; while at the same time, Irene refused to believe she needed an assisted living home. 

Directed by Ira Sachs 

Harry (Chris Cooper) is a husband in the 1940’s who loves his wife (Patricia Clarkson) but feels she is too physical and lacks the emotional connection he needs. He meets with his best friend Richard (Pierce Brosnan) to discuss leaving his wife for another woman, Kay (Rachel McAdam). Richard suggests staying married and keeping Kay as a mistress.Harry decides he cannot stay with both women and his wife must be the one to go, for good.

Married Life is a classical narrative that starts slow but has a good build up and an unpredictable ending. There are numerous plot twists that keep you anticipating the next scene. When you think you know how the film is going to end something new will happen. This film was well directed with attention to detail; such as the chain smoking and era accurate set design. 

Directed by Trygve Allister Diesen and Lucky Mckee.

Brian Cox plays a 65 year old veteran who has lost his immediate family and now runs a small general goods store in the American Northwest. Three local kids try to rob him at gun point while he’s fishing but when they find out he had nothing worth stealing they shot his dog. Cox struggles to get justice for the death of his dog in an honorable way by going through the law. By film’s end, he decides on a more direct approach.

The film has frequent inconsistencies in the plot and was poorly adapted. The way the directors chose to add bits of the main character’s history along the way was confusing and often distracted from the main storyline. There were also characters such as Pete and his family that could have been left out completely or developed more. The reporter’s employment changes without explanation and seems to be done out of weak writing. This adaptation from a novel by Jack Ketchum has a sense of being in principal photography while being written at the same time; the background of the main character comes peace-meal as the story progresses.   

Mechanical Love – Directed by Phie Ambo

Mechanical Love is a documentary that follows a Japanese professor as he tries to make the perfect android or “geminoid” [a replica of a human]. He has made a very life like, full-scale version of himself that he uses to test his family’s interaction with the “geminoid.” The film also follows Pero, a robotic seal that is being tested in nursing homes around the world. Ambo documents the effect of the robotic pet that has been used in place of a lost pet or family member. Other reactions to this kind of “mechanical love” around the world are also presented in the film.

This is an insightful documentary presented on old 70’s style film stock. The reactions to the Pero robot were interesting and the older grade film added a very independent film feel, but there were many slow parts that could have been left out. Overall this film requires an interest in personal relationships and psychology with a bit of patients, otherwise you might find you’re just waiting for the end. 

The Song of Sparrows (Avaze Gonjeshk-ha) – Directed by Majid Majidi

A father, living on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran loses his job as a farm hand on an ostrich ranch. The father, Karim (played by Reza Naji)  struggles  to find a job and provide for his family. Along  the way, he experiences moral and personal conflicts that test his faith and his character.

Majidi writes an incredible story with overlaping metaphors that take the audience on their own emotional and moral journey. Some of the metaphors aren’t obvious at first but after talking with friends afterward you’ll realize this is a very well planned out and directed film. Anyone interested in full character development, both of the main character and the supporting players, should make a point to see this film.