By Dave Montalbano

“History shows again and again how nature points up the folly of men.” ‘Godzilla’ by Blue Oyster Cult

People who bingewatched the previous 60 years of Godzilla movies were disappointed in the recent release, but those seeking Popcorneating Saturday matinee entertainment shelled out $93 million in the United States to spend time with the radioactive-breath 350 ft tall giant lizard. The box office performed better than expected and Godzilla 2 has been greenlit.

The plot is very simple; it involves a family dealing with a cosmological crisis of epic proportions. To reveal more would be a disservice to Director Gareth Edwards’ modern vision of ancient mythology. Suffice it to say the tale of Godzilla has been told for many years on cave drawings.

The film is filled with many visual details. Godzilla’s slow reveal (through editing) is recreated from the original Godzilla movie from 1954. The opening credits acknowledge the “Godzilla reboot” from 60 and 16 years ago, respectively. As the primal monster attacks highly populated cities, one recognizes individuals held captive by government bureaucracy. This is good science fiction entertainment because it presents the monster as a metaphor for a given time.

The Love Punch opens tomorrow at area theaters. It is a full out romantic comedy fully realized from beginning to end. Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson are a divorced couple whose retirement nest egg has been stolen by a corporate raider from France. Given that their two children are in college, the couple reunite to reclaim their retirement fortune.

While both characters are suffering from empty nest syndrome, Brosnan’s character is the one who wants to reconcile. As Thompson’s character hatches a heist to reclaim “The Eye of the Rainbow” diamond at a wedding ceremony in a Paris suburb, the couple recruits their best friends (Timothy Spall and Celia Imrie – who should get their own caper someday). As the heist becomes more dangerous, the two couples still find time to bicker about their personal picadillos from the past.

The Love Punch is a simple story filled with farcical elements. Writer/director Joel Hopkins sets the tone very early with the prologue before the colorful credits roll. The film is full of energy, but it is not rushed. Each laugh is logically organized with a punch line that pays off each time.

Both Godzilla and The Love Punch provide fine entertainment diversion this Memorial Day weekend for their respective audiences. For those sticking around the house Sunday night, check out the National Memorial Day Concert on PBS. Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna return as co-hosts, with Jackie Evancho singing the National Anthem. Party hearty Memorial Day, but don’t forget to thank a veteran this weekend.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Nineteen years ago this month, when I was a Social Studies teacher at Loggers’ Run Community Middle School, my 6th grade students helped me produce A Tribute to the Men & Women of the World War II Generation. Besides listening to Big Band music, hearing a patriotic chorus with some goofy Three Stooges like stagehands, the assembly also had some serious moments. Tammy Greenberg read a letter written by Erika Hubert, who talked about her German childhood during World War II. Andrea Rajier read a letter written by her German grandmother who fled to Argentina during the rise of Adolph Hitler. Tammy and Andrea’s no nonsense performance brought tears to the eyes of cynical 6th Graders and several weary Middle School teachers.

As a journalist and information scientist, it pains me to see how important lessons of history are being forgotten by this new generation raised on video games and tablets, as if any news story three months old is considered ancient history. This is why a movie like The German Doctor is still being produced in these days of raunchy low budget comedies. This film was Argentine’s representative for best foreign film for the 2013 Oscar season.

It opens with a title sequence similar to a Guillermo Del Toro’s monster show … notebooks filled with sketches of human anatomy with charts and graphs written in German. It is as if we are reading The Secrets of Life written by Henry Frankenstein from those Universal monster movies from 80 years ago. We learn that these are the notebooks of Josef Mengele (Alex Brendemuhl), the notorious Nazi war criminal who specialized in genetic research using Jewish citizens as unwilling subjects.

Mengele befriends an Argentinean family and the secret Nazi becomes a fixture in the community. After doing a few good deeds and earning the trust of the family, Menegele is able to convince them to try his “harmless” serum that will prevent genetic defects. As the serum causes side effects, Menegele and his assistant accurately record and write about their scientific experiment.

Unlike Gregory Peck’s over-the-top performance as the hyperactive Menegele in The Boys from Brazil, Brenedmuhl is a silent, but charismatic predator. He has a good bedside manner with his patients, especially children. The true Menegele is revealed as he cold bloodedly writes about the genetic mutations he is causing with his “harmless” science experiments. Written and directed by Lucia Puenzo, this Spanish language film with English subtitles, features gorgeous cinematography with a dark story and noir characters.

As I write this, it is May 12, 2014, which marks the 40 year anniversary that my parents and I moved into Palm Aire at Coral Key in Lighthouse Point. While unpacking my stuff, the movie playing in the background was The Jugglar, one of the first movies to deal with post traumatic stress syndrome for Holocaust survivors. John Banner (Hogan’s Heroes Sgt. Schultz) and Kirk Douglas starred, who also produced this movie. Besides being the birthday of Florence Nightingale, Katharine Hepburn, Malin Akerman and Emily VanCamp, May 12 also marked my Mom’s 90th birthday.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

While the numbers are not as strong as Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 opened with an impressive $91 million box office last weekend. Not part of the Avengers canon, this series of Spider-Man movies is seeking to develop its own comics mythology for Sony’s Columbia pictures. FYI: The post title sequence features an action sequence from the soon-to-be-released X-Men: Days of Future Past from 20th Century Fox.

For the 5th Spider-Man movie in 14 years, the audience is finally able to see a movie in which Uncle Ben does not die. However, grief is an overall theme that hangs over The Amazing Spider- Man 2. Peter Parker, alias Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield), and his girlfriend Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) graduate from High School. Peter is late to his own graduation because he is battling the Rhino (Paul Giamatti), a pesky Soviet villain.

While Gwen, the school’s valedictorian with a steady job at Oscorp, is entertaining offers to attend a special program in Oxford, Peter is conflicted. He adores Gwen, but has promised her dearly-departed dad (Denis Leary) to stay away from her and, being Spider-Man, he is obliged to stop crime in New York City. Meanwhile, Peter tries to uncover a conspiracy of events involving his parents, who left him at a young age.

Being Part 2 of a projected 4-part series, this movie throws a lot of dialogue and teen angst at the viewer. Occasionally, Spider-Man battles Electro (Jamie Foxx) [and another surprise villain] to break up the exposition tedium, but these nighttime battles lack the clarity of vision. A much-anticipated climax from the comic book series is presented; but, instead of being emotional, the scene feels manipulated and mechanical.

The film does have some moments of luster, in particular when “Spidey” remembers that he is a role model. Before confronting a villain with his web-slinging, Spider- Man takes the time to talk the bad guy out of making bad choices. The film also redeems itself in its final moments when a miniature Spidey-clone attempts to confront a scary villain without Peter Parker’s help.

John Turturro’s directorial debut opens tomorrow, Fading Gigolo, co-starring Woody Allen, Sharon Stone and Sofia Vergara. Unlike his previous creepy on-screen personas, Turturro portrays a nice guy with a touch of Cinderella. This comedy from New York has garnered good word-of-mouth.

As Disneyworld completes its recent expansion of New Fantasyland, plans are underway for a larger expansion of Animal Kingdom.

Groundbreaking occurred last January for James Cameron’s Avatar inspired park. As Cameron prepares to create his next three movies, one can see the original Avatar with additional footage at the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Discovery & Science IMAX theater. (See more about Disney on Pg. 10).

Make a good Mother’s Day choice this weekend!

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Having opened at the 2013 Palm Beach International Film Festival, Decoding Annie Parker will be opening nationally tomorrow. In the year since its first public exposure, the reputation of Decoding Annie Parker has grown, given the subject matter and a blossoming supporting cast of actors – Aaron Paul, Marley Shelton and Alice Eve.

Having witnessed her mother and sister fade away from cancer, Annie Parker (Samantha Morton) basically lives in the moment and tends to her family. While performing a routine breast examination, Annie discovers a lump on her breast. Annie laughs at her apparent death sentence.

In spite of radiation, chemotherapy and being told that her cancer is in remission, Annie confronts this devious disease. Enter Dr. Mary- Claire King (Helen Hunt), a research doctor who believes that there is a link between cancer and family genetics. Though it takes decades to meet, both Dr. King and Annie Parker develop a unique relationship via letter writing.

Based on a true story, Decoding Annie Parker is a textbook story about the medical profession battling a dreaded illness. Yet Samantha Morton’s performance raises the film above an episode of Grey’s Anatomy disease of the week plotting. Having met the real Annie Parker last year at PBIFF 2013, one sees that a positive attitude is powerful medicine.

For Joe, Nicholas Cage is getting his best performance reviews since World Trade Center. Cage is truly invested in this character, a supervisor who specializes in the killing of trees in the swamplands. Enter Gary (Tye Sheridan), a 15-year-old who seeks employment with Joe’s crew. Gary admits to suffering from domestic difficulties, Joe agrees to hire Gary’s father, Wade aka G-Dawg (Gary Poulter), figuring that hard work cures most problems.

Wade G-Dawg is pure white trash from the neighborhood of Bob Ewell from To Kill a Mockingbird and Jonas Wilkerson from Gone with the Wind. Joe is forced to fire the father, who takes it out on his son. Despite his own violent past, Joe becomes increasingly involved with Gary’s plight.

To add authenticity to his story, Director David Gordon Green hired Texas locals. Poulter was a homeless man who was given a job. As the title role, Cage deserves his kudos for playing an explosive character with restraint. Yet Joe will be haunted by Poulter’s realistic performance as “Daddy Dearest.” After production closed, Poulter returned to the streets and died before Joe was released.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

With most films being marketed for middle school students with disposable incomes, I found it refreshing to be the youngest member of the audience of the Good Friday screening of Heaven Is for Real. The matinee screening was a virtual sell-out and the film ended with a round of applause. Lacking the multi-million-dollar marketing push of Transcendence (which bombed at the box office), the box office receipts have made Heaven Is for Real the certified sleeper hit of 2014.

With the exception of the film’s opening and closing shots of a young female artist painting a picture in Russia, this film is set in the flatlands of Nebraska. Minister Todd Burpo (Greg Kinnear) and his wife Sonja (Kelly Reilly) are community leaders who are working hard to maintain their home. While relaxing on a Sunday afternoon after church services, Todd breaks his leg playing baseball. After recovery, the Burpo family takes a much-needed vacation and Colton Burpo’s (Connor Corum) appendix bursts.

As Sonja arranges for community prayers and Todd gets into an argument with God in the hospital chapel, Colton recovers. As the family returns to a routine life of financial strife, Colton starts talking about visiting Heaven and meeting Jesus. While most people dismiss Colton’s words as hallucination, Todd listens attentively. Colton begins talking about meeting deceased family members who passed away before he was born.

The television commercials fulfill the cheesy expectations that a title like Heaven Is for Real would bring. Yet, these cheesy scenes occur within the first 1/3 of the movie, which makes the viewer wonder — “What is going to happen next?”

The answer is a satisfying confluence between pragmatism and faith. Writer/director Randall Wallace excels with this form of visual storytelling. Wallace was Oscar-nominated for his screenplay of Braveheart and directed The Man in the Iron Mask, We Were Soldiers and Secretariat. Heaven Is for Real is Wallace’s most quiet movie, yet with an intense visual clarity.

Connor Corum will steal hearts. Kinnear and Reilly provide understated, but sincere, performances. Ten years ago, Reilly gave a noteworthy performance in Mrs. Henderson Presents … Since then, she has been working steadily in supporting roles (most notably as Jude Law’s longsuffering wife in Sherlock Holmes movies). Tonight, she takes center stage as a bipolar doctor in Black Box on ABC. Reilly is one of many reasons to see this lifeaffirming movie.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

For veterans working on their second decade covering the 19th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF), there was a positive vibe this year. While not quite the glory days when Louise Fletcher, Robert Davi and Malcolm McDowell visited, there was a sense that those glory days are on the horizon. It also helped that they showcased some fine films.

Life Inside and Out took the Best Feature Film award. It is a domestic drama written by Maggie Bird. Bird also co-stars with her son Finneas O’Connor, who play the fictional mother and sullen son. Both Bird and O’Connor were in attendance for the closing ceremony at the Cinemark last Thursday night.

The best documentary went to Faberge: A Life of its Own. Created during the times of the Russian Tsars, these “Easter Eggs” tell a fascinating story involving international intrigue. The film also documents the commercial opportunities that these golden eggs created.

Lion Ark took the Best Documentary Audience Award, a film that screened at last year’s Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival. This film, about saving lions from circuses in Bolivia, features a triumphant conclusion after much danger and politics.

On the box office horizon, Nicholas Cage is making a critical return with Joe. Unlike the action hero roles that have paid his bills for the past two decades, Cage returns to a complex role that he used to be known for. Joe is an ex-convict with a bad attitude, who is given a chance for salvation when he meets a bullied boy in the south.

In two weeks, The German Doctor opens at area art house movie theaters. Winner of nine Sur Awards (Argentine’s Oscar), this film is about a doctor who befriends a family in Argentina. Unknown to the family, this doctor is actually a dangerous criminal who is being pursued by Israeli agents.

It has been 10 years since The Passion of Christ broke box office records for best foreign language film (a box office record that still stands). Since then, director Mel Gibson’s career has floundered but the film did tap a marketplace that had been ignored by Hollywood executives,– ticket-buying Christians. This week’s box office results will prove to be an interesting commentary for Easter Sunday.

Happy Easter!

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

The announcement that Mickey Rooney passed away last Sunday showcases the cultural impact of the Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) to our local community. Rooney was honored at the 2008 PBIFF and his career represents the golden age of Hollywood. From the Andy Hardy and My Friend Flicka movies to the original Night at the Museum and The Muppets, Rooney’s name is known by young and old.

This year, Rick McKay’s Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age, was shown and he was honored with a Visionary Award. Eleven years ago, McKay screened his work-in-progress, Broadway: The Golden Age, at the fest. With Fay Wray as his trusty consort, McKay earned his first festival award then. That film is on regular rotation on PBS fundraising drives.

Broadway: The Golden Age is a great documentary that should be shown in all performing arts schools, for the people who were interviewed are now considered legends of the Great White Way, including Marlon Brando, Ethel Merman and Kim Hunter. With his nonfussy camera work creating an intimate experience between subject and interviewer, McKay conducted some great interviews with Bea Arthur, Carol Burnett and Gwen Verdon. This film reminded us about forgotten heroes like John Raitt, who was the original voice in the first Rogers & Hammerstein musicals. Raitt is best known today as Bonnie Raitt’s daddy.

Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age covers the next generation of Broadway. It is the late seventies and mid eighties, a dark time on the Great White Way. Theaters are closing and buildings are going into disrepair. In these days of economic malaise, performers either bond or find new careers in film or television.

Meet Bob Fosse. With an Oscar for his direction of Cabaret and an Emmy for the television special Liza with a Z, Fosse went on to garner the Tony Award for Pippin, which made Ben Vereen a star and featured Irene Ryan’s (Beverly Hillbillies’ granny) last performance. Pippin was not a success, but Fosse decided to think out of the box and directed his own television commercial featuring 30 seconds of the show. At the end of the commercial, the announcer said, “If you want to see the rest of the … show, come to the Mayfair Theater on Broadway.” The rest is legend.

Robert Morse (who was also honored at PBIFF with a Lifetime Achievement Award Monday night), Robert Redford, Dick Van Dyke and Chita Rivera share some great backstage stories about productions that succeed and opening nights that bombed. The cast of Ain’t Misbehavin’ share stories about racism and hailing a taxi that become comedic in their absurdity. Of course, the only way to end Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age is with a grand finalé. The story about the longevity of A Chorus Line certainly qualifies as a graceful exit.

PBIFF is also about the future. Tonight, the closing night of the fest, Jason Priestly (known for Beverly Hills 90210) makes his directorial debut at the Cinemark Palace in Boca Raton with Cas & Dylan, showing at 7 p.m. (www.pbifilmfest.org).

Last but not least, kudos to Jeremy Emerman, Deerfield Beach High School graduate and son of Randi Emerman PBIFF president and CEO. That teenager who I used to work the red carpet with a decade ago, has become the camera man for some of the biggest blockbusters of recent history, including The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

After three Iron Men, two Thors and one Avenger, Captain America gets his first stand alone sequel, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It is the best sequel from “Phase I” of the Marvel movie series. Next year, at this time, we will be bombarded with Avengers: The Age of Ultron media hype to kick off “Phase II” of the Marvel Movie series. Is all this exposition necessary to know before viewing Captain America: The Winter Soldier? Not one bit.

The brilliance of these Marvel superhero movies is that each film works as a stand-alone feature, each story is complete within itself. This film is a political thriller along the lines of 1970s paranoid thrillers like Three Days of the Condor, The Conversation and The Parallax View, Unlike those 1970s classics that feature losers portrayed by the likes of Robert Redford, Gene Hackman and Warren Beatty, respectfully, this film presents a hero with values personified by the likes of John Wayne.

Captain America, alias Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is adapting to the 21st Century after saving the world (Avengers) and waking up from a 70 year hibernation (Captain America: The First Avenger). Joining forces with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo), Rogers rescue some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents from pirates. During the rescue operation, Captain America uncovers secrets kept hidden by Black Widow and their boss, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson).

When Captain America confronts Nick Fury, Fury confronts one of his bosses – Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), a member of the S.H.I.E.L.D Security Council. Through the chain of communication, security becomes breached and explosive chaos ensues. As Steve Rogers attempts figure out who is an ally and who is an enemy, the Winter Soldier is called upon to eliminate Captain America.

This is a good movie. The story unfolds in a logical way and the character development seems real. The friendship that develops between Captain America and the Falcon (Anthony Mackie) is respectful and genuine. The action scenes have visual clarity that improve with each conflict. Yet, it is the humble character of Captain America that gives this big budget motion picture its soul.

For popcorn eating Saturday matinee fun, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the film to go see. This new Marvel film is first best movie of 2014.

For those who prefer more grounded cinema, the 19th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) opens this weekend with special screenings at the Cinemark Palace in Boca Raton. Robert Morse, Rick McKay and Jason Priestly will be among those flying into town. Check out this website for events and times: www.pbifilmfest.org.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

It is time to start planning The 19th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF), which opens in two weeks. This year, there will be an emphasis in South Palm Beach County with the opening, centerpiece and closing movies screened in the Cinemark Palace 20 in Boca Raton.

Belle opens the fest, an English drama about royal racism. Belle (Gugu Mbatha- Raw) is the illegitimate daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral. Raised with privilege by her uncle, Lord Mansfield, Belle finds certain doors closed to her because of the color of her skin. The cast includes two Harry Potter veterans (Emma Watson, Tom Felton) and Tom Wilkinson.

A decade ago, Rick McKay debuted Broadway the Golden Age, which features Broadway legends like Kim Hunter, Marlon Brando and Gwen Verdon. This year, he returns with Broadway Beyond the Golden Age, which emphasizes the second generation of Broadway productions featuring controversial musicals like Hair and Oh Calcutta! The star of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Robert Morse, is scheduled to attend and receive an award on Monday, April 7 at Cinemark Palace 20. There will be a party at Bogart’s Bar & Grille on the second floor.

Twenty years ago, Jason Priestly was a target for the paparazzi for his work on the television show Beverly Hills 90210. He has quietly slipped behind the camera and has directed Cas & Dylan, a road movie which stars Richard Dreyfus, Tatiana Maslany and Jayne Eastwood, which will be PBIFF’s final film. Priesly will be in attendance.

The festival also places an emphasis upon independent features. Fat, Dumb and Happy is a comedy/drama filmed in Orlando. The Other One is a domestic drama about a child’s responsibility to an aging parent. A visual effects intern for The Walking Dead, Vicki Lau, debuts The Painter, a short subject about an artist with a magical paintbrush. Lion Ark is a documentary about activists saving lions from a brutal existence at Bolivian circuses. Given that April is Autism Awareness Month, PBIFF will be presenting A Teen’s Guide to Understanding and Communicating with People with Autism, with director/ writer and High School Freshman Alexandra Jackman scheduled to attend the Lake Worth screening. For late breaking news, visit the website www.pbifilmfest.org.

Last, but not least Mr. Peabody & Sherman has quietly earned 83 million dollars in a fortnight. With sophisticated scatological humor, grievous puns and a dose of Twisted history and drama, this film is an animated feature with much heart. Parents taking their upper-aged elementary school children will enjoy a good time at a Saturday matinee price.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

In writing this column for 15 years, I’ve enjoyed a consistent partnership with the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Discovery and Science (MODS). My first IMAX movie was Encounter in the Third Dimension, starring Mistress of the Dark Elvira and Stuart Pankin. In this 45- minute 3D extravaganza, we learned about psychology, optic effects and illusion.

When The Polar Express screened 10 years ago, MODS experimented with mainstream Hollywood movies. Harry Potter, The Dark Knight and the PIXAR/ Disney movies were special events for the South Florida community. All these films did a fine job matching entertainment with education.

2014 features an emphasis on documentaries. Released last fall, Rocky Mountain Express is an open air historical epic about steam engines in Western Canada. This film also looks at the dangerous disparity between the railroad laborers and railroad management. Rocky Mountain Express may be one of the darkest movies ever set in the daytime.

Journey to the South Pacific is the latest sea-faring documentary to open and is narrated by double Oscar winner Cate Blanchett. Blanchett describes a teenage boy’s visit to the Coral Triangle and the pristine environment of Indonesia’s coral reefs. Whereas Rocky Mountain Express is a landlocked historical documentary, Journey to the South Pacific is visual poetry and is the closest experience that one will have to scuba diving.

Flight of the Butterflies 3D has been on the big screen for over a year. This award-winning film is the perfect scientific documentary to view during the Lenten Season. Two stories are told. One story uncovers the mystery of the Monarch Butterfly, whose circular exodus begins in Mexico and detours in Canada. The second features Professor Fred Urquhart, who devoted 40 years to the flight of the Monarch Butterfly and how he incorporated “Citizen Scientists” to help increase knowledge about this life-affirming animal.

Goosebumps! The Science of Fear is an interactive exhibit that includes The Fear Challenge Course that lets the visitor learn about their own specific phobia. Presented with four fears (animals, electric shock, loud noises, falling), one learns their own vulnerability. Fear Lab reviews the interrelationship between fear and one’s health. This exhibit presents coping strategies for overcoming deeply imbedded phobias.

When the economy collapsed five years ago, museums and libraries were placed on the extinction list. The creative minds behind the MODS have made this institution as durable as the Monarch Butterfly, through reinvention and providing a good time for the patrons.