By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

For almost 15 years, Roadside Attractions has distributed independent motion pictures with consistently profitable results and mostly critical acclaim. Super Size Me was their first documentary to be nominated for an Academy Award, The Cove won the “golden idol” and has become a blueprint for many documentaries about animal rights.

Regarding their fictional projects, they have earned a reputation for high artistic standards with a frugal budget. Winter Bone, Biutiful and Albert Nobbs earned Oscar nominations for Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem and Glenn Close, respectfully. With this success rate, highpriced actors often take a cut in salary to be in a motion picture distributed by Roadside Attractions.

Thanks for Sharing must have been produced when Mark Ruffalo and Gwyneth Paltrow had some free time during the production of The Avengers. With moments of light-hearted comedy, this film deals with sexual addiction.

Much like an Alcoholic Anonymous meeting, Thanks for Sharing introduces three characters on a first name basis. Adam (Ruffalo) is celebrating five years of “sobriety” (actually, celibacy). Adam’s sponsor is Mike (Tim Robbins), a married man with a troubled son Danny (Patrick Fugit). New to the Sex Addiction Meeting is Neil (Josh Gad), a medical doctor who makes inappropriate moves on his boss and females in the subway.

At first, dealing with addiction is treated like a comedy. Adam and Phoebe (Paltrow) exchange banter like Spencer Tracy & Katharine Hepburn. Being the youngest of the three, the overweight Dr. Neil gets involved with moments of slapstick and video technology. Being the oldest of the three, Mike shares some quiet moments with his wife (Joely Richardson) while performing miracles for strangers.

Of course, relationships unravel and the three men must confront outside forces that make their addictions more profound. At this point, the film tries to change its tone from comedy to tragedy. The transition is not successful, despite some interesting performances. (Kudos to rock singer Pink, a.k.a. Alecia Moore, as the one with the worst sexual addiction issues).

Based on the Judy Blume novel, Tiger Eyes, which opens tomorrow at Cinema Paradiso, won the Best Feature Award at the recent Palm Beach International Film Festival. Jewtopia also opens tomorrow. Based on the Off- Broadway play, this comedy about the marriage of a Jewish woman and gentile man stars Jennifer Love-Hewitt, Jon Lovitz and Rita Wilson as potential in-laws.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Since the terrorist attacks 12 years ago, I’ve made a point of doing something constructive every Sept. 11. Whether over-tipping at a bar or donating my Thespian services to a film production (by director Jose Prendes). This year, though a Kickstarter campaign, I will be involved in an independent film titled Reach Me, written and directed by John Herzfeld. This is an uplifting story about a “self-help” book (titled Reach Me) that inspires people. This ensemble cast features Sylvester Stallone, Kyra Sedgwick, Kelsey Grammer, Thomas Jane and Tom Sizemore. Sizemore received the Lifetime Achievement Award last May, from the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival.

Next month, the 28th Annual Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) kicks off Oct. 18- Nov.11. For the third year in a row, Muvico Pompano will be included in the mix. Actress Lea Thompson (Back to the Future, Howard the Duck, Some Kind of Wonderful) is scheduled to attend an Oct. 20 screening to promote her latest movie The Trouble with Truth.

FLIFF is making an attempt to balance independent artistic inspirations with mainstream entertainment values, best represented with Anna Paquin’s appearance. Currently on the vampire television show True Blood,

Paquin earned a Best Supporting Oscar for The Piano, starring Holly Hunter. She is also best known for her role as Rogue in the X-Men movies, including next year’s future blockbuster – X-Men Days of Future Past. Paquin, along with director Shana Betz, will be opening the fest with Free Ride.

Paquin portrays a single mother who is immersed in the South Florida drug trades. After the screening at Cinema Paradiso on Friday night, Oct. 18, there will be an opening night party at Villa di Palma hosted by philanthropist Steve Savor.

Legendary actors Tab Hunter, Ed Asner, Ann-Margaret and writer of Boys Don’t Cry, Aphrodite Jones, are expected to be honored this year. Tickets are selling at a faster pace this year. Get your tickets soon. For more information, contact the box office at 954-525-FILM (3456) or visit www.fliff .com.

Mademoiselle C, a documentary about Carine Roitfeld, the operations manager for French Vogue, opens tomorrow [just as Fashion Week ends in NYC]. This film looks at Roitfeld’s transition from the magazine medium to starting her own business involving QR Codes.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

This Friday, Active Fox Productions will release two motion pictures, 36 Saints and Tio Papi. Both films are the brainchild of Joey Dedio. Last year Dedio’s Tio Papi was an award winner at the 27th Annual Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival.

Dedio has the title role in Tio Papi, a film he co-wrote with Brian Herskowitz. He plays Ray Ray, a bachelor saddled with his late sister’s six kids, ages preschool through high school. Not equipped to handle such a diverse brood, Ray Ray makes arrangements with a social worker (Kelly Mc- Gillis) to find foster homes for his nieces and nephews. While his housewife skills need improvement, Ray Ray and his family become closer together. Unfortunately, the social worker thinks otherwise and seeks to take the children away from their Tio Papi (translated Uncle Daddy).

Dealing with contemporary issues, Tio Papi is a family drama with humor. A career workaholic, Ray Ray slowly adapts to his new life as a father of six. The kids are cute; but, being kids, the young ones often create mischief for the leading man. There is also love and romance for young adults and older people who should know better.

There are negotiations to bring Tio Papi to Miami as a television series. Given the loss of revenue with the cancellation of The Glades, Magic City, etc., this is welcome news for seasoned production crews in South Florida. With a four-decade career in the motion picture industry that began with ABC Afterschool Specials, Dedio seems to be at the right place at the right time.

“We have taken Tio Papi to many festivals and the response has been consistently good. Regardless of upbringing and culture, people are responding to the message of family,” Dedio said.

Tio Papi and 36 Saints seem to be the flip side of the same coin.

I asked Dedio about the diversity of each production.

“With 36 Saints, I was fascinated with the uncovered world and the authenticity of myths and Jewish mysticism. I sought opinions from priest and rabbis,” he said.

When I challenged Dedio about the dark nature of 36 Saints, Joey responded with a smile,“In darkness, there is always light. That is what I loved about the character of Tio Papi. Many people had not seen me in that light.”

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

In his book Sex Money Kiss, Gene Simmons discussed the importance of self publication because bookstore retail was based on “the loss leader principle,” in which a major author like James Patterson or J.K. Rowling would draw consumers into the store. Once in the store, the customer would discover other lesser-known writers. The Motion Picture Industry uses the same approach, which is why economics are so dire in these entertainment fields, especially when the loss leader fails to perform.

Paranoia is such the case. With leading man responsibilities on Chris Hemsworth’s shoulders and the re-teaming of veterans Gary Oldman and Harrison Ford, one expected respectable box office return. Instead Paranoia has become the biggest loser of the year. The two-week box office gross of $6 million cannot match the $35 million production cost. This film features the corporate cat & mouse game between Ford and Oldman, with Hemsworth caught in the middle while wooing the leading lady, Amber Heard. The topical theme features cell phones and public privacy. So why did Paranoia fail? The screenplay is another Hollywood factory-produced model. Why pay for a story when one can see the same story on television in the comfort of your own home?

In contrast to a bloated Hollywood extravaganza comes 36 Saints, a small independent thriller produced and written by Joey Dedio. This small budget film is far more thought-provoking than Paranoia. Dedio’s film, with roots in Jewish mysticism, is about 36 individuals or saints who have the responsibility to protect mankind from Lillith [said to be Adam’s first wife who left the Garden of Eden rather than be subservient to Adam], who has appeared to cause chaos.

With names like Joseph, Eve, Sebastian, Valentine and Michael, it is easy to pick out the surviving members of the 36 Saints. It is actually trickier to figure out who Lilith is, it seems she masterminded the plane crash that caused the demise of most of the Saints. As the surviving saints die, it seems as if Lilith’s powers will lead the world into eternal darkness. When 36 Saints opens on Sept. 6, let’s hope the box office revenue merits the already scripted sequel.

Based on a novel by Doris Lessing, Adore opens tomorrow starring Naomi Watts & Robin Wright as two Australian Best Friends Forever. It is a gorgeous, yet peculiar, movie about two women and their relationships with her sons.

Happy Labor Day weekend!

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Oprah Winfrey’s The Butler … oops, I mean Lee Daniel s’ The Butler broke through the August box office doldrums with a $25 box office gross. As the title character, Forest Whitaker leads an ensemble cast with offbeat casting, most notably Robin Williams as President Eisenhower, John Cusack as President Nixon and Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan. There are moments of domestic struggles mixed with family tension of the times. The matinee screening was well-received and people applauded at the end of the film, so expect some Oscar buzz. As a sharecropper’s son working in the cotton fields of Georgia, Cecil Gaines (Whitaker) witnesses the rape of his mother and the murder of his father by a white trash overseer. The plantation owner (Vanessa Redgrave) sympathizes with the boy and trains him to be a house servant. By paying attention to detail, Gaines grows up, leaves the plantation and eventually gets hired by the White House during the Eisenhower Administration. Gaines serves seven presidents, and, during this time, he raises two boys; the oldest becomes a community organizer with the Black Panthersand the youngest goes to Vietnam. His wife, Gloria (Oprah), has issues with sex, drugs and soul music. While being honored by President Reagan (Alan Rickman), Gaines has a crisis of identity and questions his whole life. Gaines retires from his job and eventually votes for Barack Obama.

While being advertised as a slice of history, this film is actually a fictional piece of rhetoric. Some moments are historical fact, while many fictional elements are created for artistic license … or, dare we say, political propaganda? There is enough information on the Internet to research the balance between fantasy and reality regarding this motion picture. Yet, as one learns in English composition classes, the final words spoken often reveal the author’s perspective.

While 15 minutes too long for its own good, The Butler is an entertaining movie. Oprah is likely to be Oscar nominated again. She and Whitaker share true chemistry. The celebrity/presidential cameos are an actor’s dream and the soundtrack is an effective toe tapper. Yet, the film feels like a manufactured Oscar contender.

The Artist and the Model opens tomorrow for a limited engagement. It is a pure “art house” movie, shot in black & white with English subtitles, and features a struggling artist who paints a nude model during war time. It ends the summer art house season as Renoir began, both films complement each other.

By Dave Montalbano

cinemadave.livejournal.com

With very little fanfare, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief opened in 2010 and earned a respectable box office gross. Based on a series of novels written by Rick Riordan, the film boasted a fine supporting cast, including Uma Thurman, Pierce Brosnan and Sean Bean. Fans eagerly awaited the sequel, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, which has now been released; but three years is a long time for a sequel based on juvenile fiction. The young leads Logan Lerman (as Percy) and Alexandra Daddario (as Annabeth) return, but the cost-cutting is very apparent.

In the first movie, Percy is a dyslexic kid who discovers that he has an affinity for water. Labeled a freak by the “cool” kids, Percy attends a Special Educational program and learns that his father is a god on Mount Olympus. At the school, Percy meets other “freaks,” who are actually “half bloods.”

After saving the world in the first movie, Percy and Annabeth learn that their school is in danger of being destroyed by an ornery Cyclopes (Derek Mears). The shield that protects the school is crumbling and it is up to Percy and his friends to find the Golden Fleece that was originally obtained by Jason and the Argonauts.

Despite the budgetary restrictions, this is an enjoyable film with clever moments. We eventually find out about a West Palm Beach connection and learn that the Sea of Monsters is another name for the dreaded Bermuda Triangle. Since the young cast is so likeable, it would be silly not to sit back and enjoy the ride, for this is a good family film.

For a free family experience before school starts next week, the 50th Anniversary Screening of King Kong versus Godzilla will be held at Imperial Point Library Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. Admission is FREE and popcorn will be served while supplies last. Like the new Percy Jackson film, in this King Kong film, one feels the good intentions despite the budgetary restrictions

I was three reading levels behind my peers and 9 years old when I saw King Kong versus Godzilla. Forty-one years later, I have been the film columnist with the Observer for 14 years and have just self-published my second book, a mythical novella titled Davy Jones & the Heart of Darkness, which is available through Amazon.com.

By Dave Montalbano

www.adventuresofcinemadave.com/

This summer, movie goers have witnessed the end of the world in World War Z, Man of Steel and Pacific Rim. Given the repeated massive scale of this destruction, a “ho hum” reaction becomes predominant. Meanwhile, on a far smaller and more personal scale, films like The Body (El Cuerpo) and The Conjuring are creating memorable experiences featuring pity and fear.

Released a few weeks ago, The Conjuring has become a sleeper hit, grossing more money than 42, MaMa and Pacific Rim. It is an R-rated family horror movie, a film that will generate discussion over the dinner table and cause a few nightmares for the young. The unnerving factor is that this film is based on a true story in Rhode Island.

Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Elaine Warren (Vera Farmiga) lecture on the subject of “paranormal science” on a New England campus. The husband and wife team have battled ghosts and poltergeists for most of their adult lives. A recent battle with a spirit has weakened Elaine.

Enter the Perron family, who purchased a mansion on a lake in Rhode Island. Roger (Ron Livingston) is a truck driver and Carolyn (Lili Taylor) is housewife with four girls. The house is mostly a fix-me-up and, many things go bump in the night and create havoc for the family.

Despite the Warren’s semiretirement, Carolyn seeks them out at a university lecture. Reluctant at first, Elaine sees how desperate this mother is. As the Warrens confront the entity, Carolyn becomes possessed by the host demon.

Director James Wan (original Saw, Insidious) knows how to direct a terror flick. From the first off-putting shot to the final resolution, he takes the viewer on a spiritual journey. Wan’s shot construction is worthy of a James Whale or Val Lewton masterpiece. The pacing is excellent with a comedy break midway through the motion picture to relieve stress.

Perhaps the success of The Conjuring has been due to the respect shown to the Christian faith. The Warrens confidently battle this demonic apprentice, while the agnostic Perron family suffer the tortures of the damned. The Conjuring does not proselytize, but provides subtle common sense rules.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

As the Wolverine, Hugh Jackman burst upon the celluloid screen 13 years ago in X-Men directed by Bryan Singer.

Much like John Ford’s influence in developing John Wayne’s image, Singer presented Jackman as an iconic leading man for the 21st Century. For an unknown Australian song and dance man, Jackman has become a durable leading man.

The Wolverine is Jackman’s sixth appearance as Logan, alias Wolverine. While this is a standalone movie, the film takes place after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand and before next Summer’s future blockbuster, X-Men: Days of Future Past. Stick around during The Wolverine’s closing credits for the exciting movie teaser.

The Wolverine opens with a depressed Logan, the ultimate soldier cursed with eternal life. In his long existence, Logan keeps losing the loves of his life. Recently Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) died at his hand and the guilt has caused Logan to become a hermit in the Canadian woods.

Enter Yukio (Rila Fukushima), an employee of Yashida (Hal Yamanouchi), a dying industrialist whom Logan rescued from the atomic bomb blast at Nagasaki. Yashida would like to offer Wolverine the gift of death.

With such a serious theme in the background, The Wolverine could have been bogged down with theories and theology. Fortunately, director James Mangold has directed a visual treat (one feels like they are roaming the Morikami Gardens). The action sequences are directed with visual clarity; most notable is the creative detail utilized during a fight sequence aboard the bullet train racing at 300 m.p.h.

On a far more serious note, Blackfish opens tomorrow. This documentary reviews whale captivity and theme parks. Much like Ric O’- Barry’s The Cove, Blackfish presents how creatures of the wild cannot be confined to cages; for whenever there is a conflict between man and nature, monsters are born. In this case, senior trainer Dawn Brancheau died during a routine exhibition at Sea World Orlando on Feb. 24, 2010.

Also opening tomorrow is a Spanish Hitchcockian thriller titled The Body. After a femme fatale meets her maker, her body disappears from a morgue. This conspiracy-laced noir features Belen Rueda, Spain’s answer to Meryl Streep.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

I’ve been waiting seven months to write about Still Mine, a beautiful film that screened at the Miami International Film Festival and the Palm Beach International Film Festival. Still Mine quietly rides the emotional roller coaster from sadness to joy with understated dignity.

“Age is an abstraction, not a straight jacket,” says Craig Morrison (James Cromwell). In his 80s, Morrison proves this theory by living an independent life on his farm in Canada. His wife Irene (Genevieve Bujold) faces the onset of dementia. When she is injured in a fall, he decides to build an ergonomically friendly home on his own land.

Despite his knowledge and experience in construction, Morrison runs afoul government bureaucrats, upset that he is not pulling permits and waiting for building inspectors.

Still Mine, a universal story that echoes August Strindberg’s play An Enemy of the People and the writings of Thoreau, is also a love story that will attract Nicholas Sparks’ fans.

Based on a true story, writer-director Michael Mc- Gowan said of his film, “I didn’t want to sugar coat it, but I wanted authenticity. Craig is not a saint; but he was responsible for his own fate.”

Regarding Cromwell, Mc- Gowan said, “Collaborator, strong presence … made the film better, and we had no disagreement.”

“Michael had my back,” Cromwell added.

This collaboration was never more apparent than a brief outdoor shower scene with Cromwell in the buff and the intimate love scene with costar Bujold, who was reluctant to do a nude scene.

McGowan said, “She changed her mind when she saw that the crew was not gawking during the shower scene. Her scene was shot towards the end of production and it was comfortable. On the day of the shoot, the scene was vulnerable and intimate; she understood that and embraced it. In the end, she was happy she did it.”

Cromwell was introduced to the public four decades ago in the television show, All in the Family and has worked steadily with 167 credits, including films like L.A. Confidential, The Green Mile, and Babe, a life-changing motion picture that earned Cromwell his only Oscar nomination thus far.

Cromwell said about Babe, “I did not want to do the film. The character only had 16 lines, but it was a trip to Australia.”

For those who have seen Babe with an audience, tears are shed when Cromwell’s Farmer Hoggett says, “That will do, pig; that will do.”

Cromwell said, “I never paid attention in the past; but, this time, I looked in the lens and I saw the reflection of this person. I looked at the pig and I looked up and saw my father. When I said the line, my Dad was talking to me.”

In many ways, Still Mine reconnected me with lessons from my father, lessons I recommend to Observer readers.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

King Kong vs. Godzilla will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. This international classic has been an influence for young people. The Japanese art form of “anime” is the flower that this film seeded.

Pacific Rim also owes a debt to this classic. This new release opens in 2013 when the first Kaiju attacks the California shores. Kaijus are giant sea creatures from the Pacific rim that want to eradicate mankind. The world governments unite and create the Jaeger Program. Jaegers are giant robots that are used to battle the Kaijus, piloted by two people in the central processing unit.

The robot vs. sea monster battles become a generational conflict. During one such battle, Raleigh (Charlie Hunnam) loses his brother and his Jaeger, Gipsey Danger, is sent into a storage unit. After years of self-imposed exile, Raleigh is greeted by his old boss, Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba). The Kaijus are planning a full frontal assault and the Gipsey Danger must be taken out of mothballs in what could be mankind’s last stand.

Like a good war movie from the Golden Age of Hollywood, Pacific Rim snatches victory from the jaws of defeat. Character clichés mount and Mr. Pentecost gives a rousing speech about the survival of mankind with a nod to Shakepeare’s Henry V and Bill Pullman from Independence Day.

Co-written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, this film is the director’s first movie in five years. Despite being on the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Discovery IMAX screen, del Toro’s visual eye seems a bit rusty.

All of the battles take place at night, in the rain or underwater. Fortunately, his attention to detail is not lost in the background, especially in Hong Kong scenes that look like Disneyworld Epcot at night.

Ironically, the secondary characters create most of the audience empathy. Ron Perlman shines as Hannibal Chau, an entrepreneur who sells Jaeger anatomy on the black market. Nerds Geiszler (Charlie Day) and Gottleib (Burn Gorman) steal the spotlight as bickering scientists who unlock the secrets of the Kajiu.

Pacific Rim is the victim of high expectations. Fans of giant monsters and robots like the film. It should be interesting to see if the film will be remembered in 2063 anno domini.

Fans of the 1963 film King Kong vs. Godzilla will have an opportunity to see this epic FREE on the big screen August 17 at 2 p.m. For more information, call 954-357- 6530 at Imperial Point Library.