LITTLE MEN (2016)

August 25, 2016

USA Film Festival 2016

little men Greetings again from the darkness. There is a lot going on in this latest from writer/director Ira Sachs, and every bit of it provides some commentary on the basic everyday life struggles faced by normal folks. There is also a continuation of the ongoing NYC vs Brooklyn “friendly competition”, as well a reminder of the downside of gentrification.

Mr. Sachs and his frequent collaborator and co-writer Mauricio Zacharias kick off the story with Greg Kinnear’s Brian awkwardly exchanging greetings with Paulina Garcia’ s (so terrific in Gloria, 2013) Leonor while the son’s of these two share an equally awkward meeting. Leonor is the long-time tenant in the dress shop located below the apartment where Brian’s recently deceased father resided.

Jake (Theo Tapitz) is an aspiring artist who doesn’t easily make friends. Tony (Michael Barbieri) is a brash, fast-talking kid who is a bit more street wise and outgoing. The two boys quickly bond … while at the same time, the parents begin a quiet battle. Brian’s sister (played by Talia Balsam) demands her fair share of their father’s estate through higher rent on Leonor’s dress shop. It turns out their dad never raised the rent despite the number of years and the developing neighborhood. Kinnear’s wife Kathy (the underrated Jennifer Ehle) tries to play peace-keeping negotiator so that the boys’ friendship is not affected. As is often the case, the kids handle the situation better than the adults.

The film’s best scenes feature the two young boys … a blossoming childhood friendship that is all too rare on the big screen. If the boys weren’t so severely impacted, the adult interactions could almost be white noise. Themes of money vs love, greed vs emotion, as well as recurring and various instances of rejection, all play a part in this multi-faceted story. Examples of rejection include a girl rejecting a boy, Brian’s rejection as an actor, and the multiple rejections in the negotiations for the shop. Mr. Sachs has a real knack for putting real people in real situations that result in difficult decisions.

All of the acting is top notch, including Alfred Molina in a small role as Leonor’s attorney and advisor. But it’s the boys – Tapitz and especially Barbieri – that elevate the film. Watching the boys grow closer despite the all-too-close conflicts reminds a bit of the friendships in Rob Reiner’s classic Stand By Me. Young Mr. Tapitz already has a few short films under his belt as a director, and Mr. Barbieri is certain to get many more opportunities to flash his on screen talent.

watch the trailer:

 

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Posted by David Ferguson

GLORIA (2013, Chile)

February 9, 2014

gloria Greetings again from the darkness. One of my favorite comparison points with non-U.S. films is to imagine how Hollywood might take the same story and twist it for mass appeal. It’s pretty easy to imagine this one as a flat-out comedy with Diane Keaton or Goldie Hawn in the lead. Chilean writer/director Sebastian Lelio takes a much more interesting approach giving us a real world perspective on a divorced middle-aged woman seeking companionship and emotional fulfillment.  It’s easy to understand why this one has been a film festival favorite.

Paulina Garcia plays Gloria, a professional woman who embraces the free-spirited lifestyle that being long divorced allows. She has two adult children who are doing just fine in life, and a neighbor with noisy habits and a bothersome hairless cat. Gloria enjoys singing outloud to the car radio, and drinking and dancing at a local nightclub while maintaining hope that a worthy life companion is still in the cards. In other words, she is neither superwoman nor emotional train wreck. And thanks to the exceptional talents of Ms. Garcia, we are drawn to Gloria and care what happens.

We witness Gloria’s flirtatious glances across the dance floor to Rodolfo (Sergio Hernandez). We next witness a middle-aged bedroom encounter that doesn’t take advantage of the body-double directory. Once the girdle is removed (his), the two adults enjoy the moment, while vividly reminding us that all actors (and certainly all people) don’t look like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Companionship has always been based on emotions, not aesthetics … despite Hollywood’s efforts to prove otherwise.

One of the more interesting aspects of following the relationship between Rodolfo and Gloria is that, in life, we all carry baggage. Sometimes our own baggage is easier to deal with than that of others. The birthday party for Gloria’s son and the ongoing crisis with Rodolfo’s ex-wife and daughters convey just how difficult it can be to recognize the effects of such scenarios.

The class of this sub-genre is the 1978 film An Unmarried Woman with Jill Clayburgh. Of course, in that one, Ms. Clayburgh was significantly younger than the Gloria character here. Still, some of the obstacles are similar and both feature terrific lead performances from actresses. The role of music in Gloria’s life is especially poignant. At one party, there is a wonderful duet of “Aquas de Marco” (Waters of March) originally written by Antonio Carlos (Tom) Jobim. The song and the movie are about the daily progressions of life. The ending is especially spot on thanks to Gloria’s response to the original version of “Gloria” by Umberto Tozzi (re-made in the U.S. by Laura Branigan).

It’s quite easy to view this story through Gloria’s eyes and fully understand her “grow some” comment. However, for a different perspective, try looking at things through Rodolfo’s eyes. Maybe Gloria is a bit more self-centered than what she appears at first glance. There are a couple of scenes … the mirror and the peacock … that hint at this same ideal. This appears to be Mr. Lelio’s way of telling us that life is just not that simple and that we all have defense mechanisms that impact how we are perceived by others. It’s just not as clear-cut as the initial reaction.

**NOTE: this was Chile’s submission for Foreign Language Oscar, but it did not make the final cut.

watch the trailer:

 

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Posted by David Ferguson