THE FALL OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE: Denys Arcand's sweet and juicy anti-Capitalist fairy tale may be his best film yet

TrustMovies will have to wait until he's seen this film a second time before definitely calling it Denys Arcand's best (the writer/director is shown below), but it is certainly and immediately up there near the front of his pack -- which includes The Barbarian Invasions, The Decline of the American Empire, Jesus of Montreal, and the woefully under-seen and under-appreciated Stardom.

When, in the very first scene of a film, you find yourself agreeing with every single idea and word out of a character's mouth, even though it soon becomes clear that this guy is a loser par excellence, you know you are in very good hands.

So, just sit back and enjoy the remaining two-hour ride. These will be some of the best, most ironic and enjoyable, delectable, thought-provoking 120 minutes you can imagine -- filled with robbery and loot; a gorgeous, high-class hooker (with not just a heart of gold but a very bright mind); and various and assorted subsidiary characters, each of whom will be worth your time, your possible political awakening, your chuckles, and occasionally (particularly toward the end) some surprisingly moving moments.

THE FALL OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE is a kind of fabulous fairy tale of how, with proper guidance, one can use some of the sleaziest tools of Capitalism in order to achieve one's goal of providing for the underclass. But who, other than writer/director Arcand, could have imagined that this trip would be quite so much fun? The journey begins with our hero, Pierre-Paul -- a naive, caring, but none-too-bright young hunk (played by the splendidly cast Alexandre Landry, above, left) -- about to lose his current girlfriend/bank employee (Florence Longpré, above, right).

From there, Pierre-Paul soon comes into contact with an enormous amount of stolen cash, and soon after with that aforementioned hooker (played with the perfect combo of looks, smarts and feeling by Maripier Morin, above), whose online professional name Aspasie, inspired via Racine or maybe Marivaux, entices our hero something fierce.

From that point on, we get everything from gangland torture (Don't worry:There a happy ending there, too) and a police investigation (by the twosome, above, Maxime Roy and Louis Morissette, left and right respectively) in which the cops are given a bit richer and more interesting characterization that we usually get) to a recently-released-from-prison former criminal trying to go straight but quickly sucked into these ever-more-interesting proceedings (Arcand semi-regular Rémy Girard, below),

and finally, perhaps the most interesting character of all, a high-level jack-of-all-trades investment entrepreneur (Pierre Curzi, at right, below) whose knowledgeable help regarding offshore workings is also required. How these folk bounce off each other personally and professionally makes for a most entertaining and thought-provoking ride.

There are also the homeless, of whom we see a certain amount (finally -- with quite an interesting jolt -- at the very conclusion) and for whom this entire caper has been set in place. As usual with M. Arcand, we are treated to ideas about morality and how to achieve it, hypocrisy and how to use it, and how Capitalism might even work -- were it Socialism that was actually calling the shots.

Sure, it's a fairy tale -- albeit a lovely, funny, adeptly-plotted one -- and so, after all, a sad little tease. But in these fraught and frightening times, what else do we have?

For its funny, sexy, highly original seduction scene alone, The Fall of the American Empire would be a don't-miss (there are a dozen other good reasons to see it, too).

Oh -- if it's the American empire that's falling here, how come the entire film takes place in Canada? Well, that's just a part of the ineffable Arcand charm.

From Sony Pictures Classics and running a surprisingly swift two hours and seven minutes, the movie opens here in South Florida this Friday, June 28, at the Coral Gables Art Cinema in Miami, the Regal Shadowood and Living Room Theaters in Boca Raton, and the Movies of Delray and Movies of Lake Worth. Wherever you live around the country, click here, then scroll down to find a theater near you.

David Oyelowo shines in Edgerton/Tambakis/ Stone's so-so action/comedy/thriller, GRINGO

A movie you can sit back and somewhat enjoy, even as you almost immediately begin trying to figure out why it isn't working as well as it should, GRINGO -- directed by Nash Edgerton (shown below) from a screenplay by Anthony Tambakis and Matthew Stone -- derives that enjoyment from a cleverly concocted plot that keeps unfurling in ways that surprise and pleasure and from a cast of usually first-rate performers. The mis-firing arrives via very low-end dialog that rarely rises to the level of the plot and from that pack of actors, only three of which manage to outdo their so-so script with performances energized enough to keep this contraption going.

The most important of those three performers would be the movie's real star and main character, Harold, played by David Oyelowo, shown below, who has saved many a movie with his on-the-nose talent and charisma.

If you've never seen this fine actor in The Paperboy (a vastly under-rated movie), do watch it and marvel.

While Oyelowo can do wonderful work, even in a stodgy, paint-by-number biopic like Selma, it is in smaller, more original movies such as HBOs Nighingale, A United Kingdom, and Five Nights in Maine that he can really shine. As he does here in Gringo, as well as in The Cloverfield Paradox, that recent Netflix-streamed movie that received bad reviews but is much better and more intelligent than you will have heard.

The other two actors who most help make Gringo bearable are the increasingly versatile Sharlto Copley (below, right, with Oyelowo), who plays the chief villain's (sort of) good-guy brother with boundless energy and wit, and Carlos Corona, playing the greatly feared drug lord known as The Black Panther (who has quite an obsession with The Beatles) with just the right combo of sinister charm and oddball humor.

Otherwise, the rest of the fine cast (both leads and supporting), which includes Charlize Theron (below) and Joel Edgerton (the director's brother) are all adequate, but mostly we keep waiting for them to somehow burst out of their scenes with a little more relish and pizzazz. This never happens, though it occasionally comes close enough to tease us rather unmercifully.

Yet that cleverly contrived plot, together with Mr. Oyelowo, may be enough to get a lot of viewers past the mid-point and through to the end. They did me. And since I used my Moviepass to purchase a ticket (and now make sure I go the the movies at least 5 times a month), each film costs me two bucks. Every theater (except one) in our local area allows Moviepass to be used, so this relatively new service strikes me as unbeatable for movie-lovers who are on a tight budget.

Meanwhile, Gringo, from Amazon Studios and STX Entertainment, opened last week, nationwide, and is probably still playing in a few theaters. Click here to find one near you.

Chris Peckover/Zach Kahn's BETTER WATCH OUT: a holiday babysitting movie for the ages

Yikes -- they just don't do this in movies! Well, now they do. In fact, there is maybe one film (I will not give away its name but it was made in 1956) with a similar theme in which some very bad things happen. Based upon a famous Broadway play, the Hollywood movie version, of course, had to futz around with the finale to make sure conventional justice was done. BETTER WATCH OUT, on the other hand, dispenses with just about all the rules of this particular game that you will have formerly viewed. And so well done is it that the movie becomes an instant classic among Christmas-themed, dark thrillers that also boast great comedic flair.

The conception of director/co-writer (with Zach Kahn) Chris Peckover, shown at right, the movie begins as your typical, if rather sexually interested babysitting movie featuring a fouler mouth than usual. (The film is R-rated, the reasons for which, as it moves further along, you will ever more fully understand.) This is a home invasion tale with a twist that, once it occurs, takes us into quite uncharted territory.

That's it for plot, folk. This one deserves utter no-spoiler respect, and I suspect its many fans will rightly refuse to disclose any secrets.

What I can say is that Better Watch Out has been cast to perfection, starting with that babysitter, the beautiful, poised and intelligent Australian actress, Olivia DeJonge (above and below) -- who is simply a knockout.

Her twelve-year-old charge is played by the angelic-looking young Aussie actor, Levi Miller (above, left, and below, right, who also played Peter in the ill-fated Pan), and Mr. Miller walks away with the movie. They don't give acting awards for films of this genre, but if they did, the kid would be a shoo-in. He is that extraordinary.

The rest of the cast is equally well chosen, from our hero's best friend, played by Ed Oxenbould (at left, above) to Aleks Mikic (below, right), who plays our heroine's current boyfriend, and Dacre Montgomery, who takes the role of her ex.

In the roles of our little sleepwalking cherub's parents are two more favorites: Patrick Warburton and Virginia Madsen (below, right). They're just fine, too. Everyone gets quite into the spirit of things here, and the result is a humdinger.

If you read some of the negative reviews, say, on the IMDB (critics were mostly bowled over by the film), you will find a sensibility that screams, "Wait! You just can't do something like this in a holiday/home-invasion movie!" (Unless you're Michael Haneke, of course.) But you can. And they have. And the result, as they say, is a lulu. Don't let this one get past you under any circumstance.

From WellGo Entertainment, and running a just-right 89 minutes, after a short but successful theatrical run, the movie hit DVD and Blu-ray this week -- for rental, purchase and, I believe VOD/streaming, as well. 

DVD, Blu-ray & VODebut: From Canada, April Mullen and Tim Doiron's fast-moving, bloody 88

Perhaps we should think of April Mullen, the director of this new movie, as a kind of Quentina Tarantina -- so insistent is she on giving us fast-moving, comedic and bloody mayhem with a definite ironic twist. If, by now, we've seen a bit too much of aped Tarantino (if not way too much of the real thing, as well), this should not necessarily put you off viewing Ms Mullen's latest offering, 88. It's rather fun, in its over-the-top manner. Much of that fun is provided by a fellow named Tim Doiron, who wrote the screenplay and co-stars as the unlucky young man who finds himself smitten with the film's leading lady, Gwen, payed by Katharine Isabelle, whom some of us fondly remember from Ginger Snaps.

Ms Mullen (shown at left, and something of a looker herself), is an actress, as well as director, and she certainly gives her leading lady enough rope to either hang herself or lasso a nifty performance. Ms Isabelle manages to do both. She's deadly serious throughout, which results in the movie around her often seeming skewed, as the rest of the cast have caught onto the irony and laughs, while she is dead set on nothing but revenge. Sort of. The plot here, you see, deals with a young woman in a "Fugue state," which the movie goes out of its way to explain in some detail, none of which makes the goings-on any more believable, though it does help explain some of the bizarre behavior on display.

88 -- the title refers to just about every street address and motel room number throughout the movie -- begins with our heroine (above) sitting in a diner where, suddenly, all hell breaks loose. This ploy happens often throughout the film, and while it eventually drags things down, initially (and for quite awhile) it proves a lot of fun. This girl is clearly muddled, and when the movie begins flipping back and forth in time, so are we.

For much of its running time, 88 is one of those movies that asks: "Who is this character, what the fuck is happening, and why?" Slowly the pieces come together, but I'm afraid that fugue state doesn't really explain it all to our satisfaction. Yet the action rarely ceases, and much of it is randy, nasty fun, as Gwen looks to find and kill the person responsible for her lover's untimely demise. (He is played by Kyle Schmid, above, right, used here mostly for his drowsy sex appeal.)

Instead it is Mr. Doiron, above, as a new character in Gwen's life named Ty, who provides most of the movie's energy and spirit. The actor is marvelous as this screwball, comical-but-sexy wonder who hopes against hope that he can make Gwen his own. As well as a terrific performance, Doiron also gives us a few surprises via his screenplay.

Canada's old-time favorite Michael Ironside (above) plays the lead cop investigating the many deaths that Gwen oversees, while Christopher Lloyd (below) handles the villain role with his usual bizarre aplomb. Eventually, there are so many killings and maimings going on that you fear there will be nary a cast member remaining by movie's end.

The violence soon become comical -- it's meant to be -- and when you get to the point where one character (the lead cop, as I recall) says, "She's armed, she's dangerous, and she must be stopped!" you know you're in comic book territory.

88 -- from Millennium Entertainment and running, yes, 88 minutes -- makes its DVD, Blu-ray and VOD debut this coming Tuesday, January 6. Consider yourself informed (or maybe warned).

Streaming: Joe Carnahan's nifty STRETCH gives Patrick Wilson a juicy role -- and he runs with it

Actually, everyone in Joe Carnahan's new movie gets a juicy role, and everyone does a crackerjack job. It's just that Patrick Wilson gives the kind of performance he rarely has the chance to tackle, and he's a delight to watch as he cajoles, pleads, races and gets knocked around some as a limo driver in debt who must suddenly pay that debt by tonight. And Mr. Carnahan, shown below, excels at this kind of fast-paced nonsense (as in Smoking Aces and The A Team).

His new movie, STRETCH, never takes itself too seriously but entertains us like crazy. It's one of those films filled with weird, crazy criminals doing nutty stuff that sort of makes sense if you're living in a word gone utterly loony. And as the movie is set in Hollywood and its environs (it even has nifty cameos by Ray Liotta and David Hasselhoff playing themselves), all this makes more than a little oddball sense. Why a film this much fun never got a theatrical release (or appeared on DVD) is beyond my ken -- the IMDB notes only an "Internet" release this past October -- but here it is now, playing on Netflix streaming for all to see.

In addition to Misters Wilson (above), Liotta and Hasselhoff, the movie features Jessica Alba, below and looking pretty ordinary (yes, this is possible) as the limo service's dispatcher, and Chris Pine (shown at bottom, right) in the major -- but uncredited -- role of the Wilson charac-ter's craziest and richest passenger/client. Both actors are aces, as is everyone down to the smallest role. And there are plenty of small, juicy roles here, too. Screenwriter Carnahan, along with his "story" guys, Jerry Corley and Rob Rose, have let their imaginations run wild to produce a cast of characters that consistently surprise us, while tickling our collective funny bone.

Despite all the evil and would-be ugly goings-on, this is the kind of smart, fast whizzer in which, no matter what might happen, you're pretty much assured that the hero will triumph against whatever odds. So you can relax and just go with the very speedy flow, with the built-in assurance that a very good time will be had by all.

Stretch, which is both the movie's title and the name of our hero, runs a fast 94 minutes and can be seen now via Netflix streaming and elsewhere. (Only the movie's closing credits -- featuring some really crappy, not-very-funny outtakes -- spoil the fun. The movie is such as upper that you should maybe stop watching as those credits start to roll.) 

Streaming tip: Fans of Peter Facinelli and/or oddball rom-coms will want to watch LOOSIES

The hunky and talented actor Peter Facinelli, a Queens boy, has had quite a nice career: more than 50 film and TV appearances in less than 20 years. Yet the stardom, which many of us expected would be his, seems to have so far eluded him. Still, he manages to appear in lots of interesting films, the least interesting but most successful of which would have to the Twlight saga, in which he portrays Daddy Vampire. He also made some waves in movies like the delightful Can't Hardly Wait, the ill-fated (but still fun) Supernova, and the recent rom-com-cum-chase-movie, LOOSIES, which he wrote, co-produced and in which he plays the leading role.

As directed by Michael Corrente (shown at left: American Buffalo, Outside Providence), the movie plays fast and relatively well, while the screenplay -- though not always super-believable (are cops really this stupid?) -- works decently enough to engage us in both the love story and the action /chase aspects of the film.

Facinelli (on poster, above, and below) plays Bobby, a pickpocklet and petty thief who manages to sustain himself and his mom via his clever fingers and fast thinking/action. Under normal circumstances, we might find it difficult to root for a guy like this, so the movie provides Bobby with a backstory "out," which we learn a bit of, and then more of, as the film progesses.

Romance is provided by the lovely Jaime Alexander (below) as Lucy, a girl with whom our "hero" had a little fling, which now comes back to haunt and entice him all over again.

The bad guys (except they're not, really) are cops played by Michael Madsen, whose police badge Bobby has stolen and uses from time to time, and his boss William Forsythe, below, both of whom have some fun with their roles.

The real bad guy is the crook to whom Bobby is "indebted," played with his ususal relish by Vincent Gallo (below, right). There's a subplot about Bobby's mom (a nice job by Marianne Leone) and her new romance with a fellow played by the always amusing Joe Pantoliano, and this is worked nicely into the film's focus and climax.

That's about it. Loosies turns out to be a feel-good fluff piece that will easily pass an hour-and-a-half of your time -- particularly if you're already a Facinelli fan. If not, the movie might turn you into one.

You can stream Loosies now via Netflix and elsewhere. It's also available on DVD and Blu-ray (the latter under the title, Love Is Not a Crime).

NOBODY ELSE BUT YOU: From France, via FRF, comes Gérald Hustache-Mathieu's honey of a funny, sweet murder mystery

What a delightful mash-up of genres is NOBODY ELSE BUT YOU (original title: Poupoupidou, and if that reminds you of a certain Miss Monroe and a song she sang in Some Like It Hot, it's quite intentional). Combining a murder mystery (the film opens with someone finding the dead body of a gorgeous young woman), life in a small provincial town (Mouthe, said to be the coldest place in France), politics and power, psychology and the vicissitudes of book publishing, neo-noir and Marilyn Monroe, this nifty, juicy and truly unusual entertainment from writer/director Gérald Hustache-Mathieu takes the Monroe legend and turns it into something original that far outdoes the rather standard but perfectly enjoyable My Week With Marilyn that debuted to much hoo-hah (but not much box-office) last year. This movie won't be raking in the cash, either (it's subtitled -- and bizarre) but for film buffs who revel in something different done well, it's a must-see. And don't worry: Odd as it is, the film will prove perfectly accessible to any intelligent audience.

M. Hustache-Mathieu, shown at right, with some writing help from Juliette Sales, has crafted a tale of a successful mystery writer, down on his luck, ability and income, who, while driving through a small town gets ensnared into the life (recently ended) of a local TV weather girl. This late young lady, born Martine Langevin but rechristened Candice Lecoeur, either thought she was the reincarnation of Marilyn, or simply has a heavy-duty Monroe complex. Either way, she has (er, had) become the very model of her heroine, a look-alike, act-alike, sing-alike replica of the va-va-voom actress in all her glory, right down to the calendar poses (see poster, top, and still, below) and the diva-cum-little-girl attitude she couldn't help but flaunt.

As played by the marvelous French actress Sophie Quinton, who, each time we see her -- Who Killed Bambi?, Angel of Mine, and the upcoming One Night (formerly titled 38 Witnesses) -- appears more beautiful, versatile and talented, this strange, sweet, sad young woman is something else. No slam on Michelle Williams, who I thought did a lovely job as Marilyn, Ms Quinton's version is bolder, stronger and richer -- for she is required to play two roles: her own and someone else's, while making the two work together. She handles the job with remarkable ease and flair. All her scenes are flashbacks, of course, and yet taken together they -- and she -- fill out her role and character beautifully.

The rest of the large cast, down to the bit players are fine and fun but there are only two other major roles: The writer -- played by a fellow I've seen a few times but until now has never stood out -- Jean-Paul Rouve (above, left, with Quinton's image), and the very funny and charming "Brigadier" Leloup who is, I gather, something like an assistant in the police department. Leloup, a wonderfully complete and unique character is played by Guillaume Goiux (shown on the bottom bench, below), a very good actor whom I've seen only a few times in minor roles. He certainly comes into his own here: He's funny, sweet, sexy and dear, with his own full-frontal scene that he fills out as well as he does all else.

This film, in fact, has a couple of full-frontal male nude scenes -- both done with surprise, charm and fun. Those three words pretty well describe the movie itself and what you'll get from it. You'll also get a plot stuffed with twists and turns, red herrings and lovely winter snow scenes. The denouement offers up its own little surprise: a sad and ironic one that will send you out of the theater with a smile -- and maybe just a hint of a tear. If only... Nice work, M. Hustache-Mathieu!

Comparisons have been made of this film to those of the Coen Brothers and David Lynch. I realize that this may be good a marketing ploy, but really, there is almost no link to legitimately be made to those fine filmmakers -- both of whom have their own styles and idiosyncrasies. But so has this newer kid on the block. Just because a movie is different or because it combines death and laughs, let's not immediately feel the need to bring up the Coens or Lynch. Hustache-Mathieu has his own sensibility and a real film buff will appreciate this for what it is, rather is going for those odious comparisons.

From First Run Features, with a running time of 102 minutes, Nobody Else But You is a pleasant change from FRF's usual array of end-of-times documentaries. Not that we don't need them, FRF. Keep 'em coming, please, but also keep giving us the occasional "fun" film now and again. The movie opens this Friday, May 11, in New York City at the Cinema Village, and in Seattle at Landmark's Varsity Theater. In the weeks to come it will play another dozen locations across the country; click here to see all currently scheduled playdates, cities and theaters.