By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

The juggernaut known as Furious 7 has netted a quarter of a billion dollars box office gross thus far, with the hype for Avengers: Age of Ultron dominating media outlets. Still, there is some quieter fare opening tomorrow, with stories about dancers and a novelist set in New York City.

Written and directed by Jayce Bartok, Fall to Rise features the story of two ballerinas in the twilight of their careers. Lauren (Katherine Crockett) is a ballet star who was let go due to injury. She is also a new mother who is married to a lawyer (Kohl Sudduth). Lauren’s instinct to return to stage is stronger than her maternal instinct.

Like Rocky Balboa, Lauren reunites with her Mickey Goldmill – Shelia (Daphne Rubin-Vega), a former ballet star who works at a dance studio for little girls. Shelia trains Lauren and gets her into prima ballerina shape. Despite the physical difficulties it takes to achieve center stage, it is Shelia and Lauren’s domestic lives that are far more difficult.

This film takes the viewer to the backstage territory that we visited in Birdman, just a few blocks away, minus the pulsating jungle rhythm. It’s a simpler story to follow, but not without some Greenwich Village avant-garde moments. During her emotional breakdown, Shelia goes to a comedy club and bares her soul to a puppet with Johnny Carson/ Jimmy Fallon mannerisms. This sequence seems out of place with the rest of the movie, but it also is the most interesting scene.

5 to 7 is a 93-minute romantic comedy about a novelist. Brian (Anton Yelchin) meets Arielle (Berenice Marlohe) and they share a cigarette. The two develop chemistry and agree to meet each other every Friday evening from 5 to 7. Complications arise when Brian learns that Arielle is a married woman with two children.

With a light touch, this film is a comedic rite-of-passage tale about the birth of a writer. The film drags during the conclusion when the moral to the story is revealed, but the lag is forgivable. Despite being in summer blockbuster movie franchises (Star Trek, Terminator), Yelchin has proven to be a successful actor on the independent film circuit. Being New York based, the producers managed to recruit Glenn Close & Frank Langella in small but pivotal roles as Yelchin’s parents. These parents provide genuine comedic highlights.

While most Manhattan ballet dancers will prefer Fall to Rise, most audiences will find 5 to 7 an engaging flick for a matinee price.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Over the Easter weekend, Furious 7 broke box office records for an April release. With a gross of 147 million, this film owes much to the well-promoted tribute to the late Paul Walker, who passed away last fall from a tragic car accident.

The tribute is a fine one, with visions of poetry. People left the movie in tears.

For a full evening price ticket, it is disappointing to write that Furious 7 is not a successful movie overall. The set-up is good. As always, the characters are engaging and new villain Jason Statham gives both Vin Diesel & Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson their lumps. The first big action sequence in the mountains is thrilling; but, as the action progresses, the reliance apon computerized special effects diminishes any sense of danger.

As long as Vin Diesel feels like producing this Fast and Furious series of movies, expect a “Fast 8” in 2017. This 15-year-old series revolves around a core group of individuals that resembles a family dynamic. Every two years, it’s nice to check up on these people.

Last Thursday evening, the Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) announced that X+Y won the Best Feature Film Award. This unique motion picture features a young mathematical genius, Nathan (Asa Butterfield), who goes on a field trip to Asia. Considered autistic, Nathan makes new friends and learns that his estrangement from people has more to do with a blocked trauma from his past.

Omo Child: The River and the Bush tied with Walking Man for Best PBIFF documentary. Directed by Josh Salzberg, Walking Man presents a bipolar father and son who go on a cross country walk to bring attention to teenage suicide prevention.

It is a road movie, but, along the way, we meet young people who have attempted suicide. Back home, the mother explains the up and down behavior of the father and son. Whereas the son’s mood swings would occur on a daily basis, the father would have a manic/depressive episode that lasted three years.

The climax is presented as a confession from the mother and father. We learn the importance of maintaining communication with empathetic people. What makes Walking Man a successful documentary is the candor about this painful, but important, subject.