Father's Day doc: Emily Abt's DADDY DON'T GO explores four guys trying to be good dads

Being marketed as a Father's Day opportunity, the new documentary by Emily Abt (Toe to Toe) entitled DADDY DON'T GO can be recommended mostly if you are looking for something really depressing to view on this manufactured, would-be holiday to honor "dad." The film's subject is two-fold: missing dads and men in prison coupled to the story of four different fellows -- two black men, one hispanic and one white -- all of whom are having major trouble bringing up baby. With almost everything stacked against three out of four of these guys -- only the white one has something approaching a secure place to raise his son -- one can only wonder how and why these subjects were chosen. The choices here certainly make for compelling if frustrating viewing, but as we move along, we can't help but question an awful lot of choices these guys make, as well as some that the filmmaker herself has made.

If one wanted to quickly offer up major differences between how whites and minorities live, you'll certainly find them here. And in this respect, the movie seems truthful about America and the opportunities it presents to the majority of its minorities. But perhaps because Ms Abt (shown at right) wanted to appear non-judgmental (some critics have used this term to describe her doc), she questions nothing we see or hear -- which most thoughtful, discerning viewers will want to do over and over again as the movie unfurls. The most egregious case of this is found when we discover almost halfway along that one of the guys appears to be a criminal who is facing prison for his role in a past mugging. Did Abt not know this? In any case, our suddenly learning this cannot help but change the way we view one of these dads.

As we're told at the film's beginning, Daddy Don't Go was filmed over two years and is the story of four disadvantaged men in New York City trying to be decent fathers against all odds. Then we meet Nelson (above), 26, from the South Bronx, a single dad whose wife was a cocaine addict with no flair for mothering (all our dads seems to have chosen really bad wives or girlfriends), and whose major problem seems to be unemployment. Omar (below), a 34-year-old black man from the North Bronx, has been disabled since childhood (there is no real diagnosis given us here, but since some of his children seem to suffer from this, as well, I am guessing it may be hereditary.) His women -- one abusive, the other incarcerated -- are no help, and so Omar is on disability for himself and his children.

Roy, 28 and shown below, is a white man from Long Island who is clearly from a middle class family. Trouble is, he has been in prison and is finding it difficult to land any kind of job. He is concurrently going for counseling at the Forestdale Fathering Institute, and has, as we will learn, some major issues with his own father (he's living for economic reasons with his son at the home of his parents).

Finally we have Alex, shown below, a 26-year-old black man from Harlem who has recently gained custody of a son whose mother has been deemed an unfit parent. We end up spending perhaps the most time of any with this young man and also perhaps feel the most jerked around by his increasingly what's-next-and-can-we-believe-any-of-this attitude. Ms Abt combines interviews and fly-on-the-wall camerawork with occasional statistics that provide some background but little that I, at least, didn't already know. But can we trust what we see and hear?

In the course of the film Nelson moves to Florida for employment. And then promptly loses it. But did he really lose the job down there simply because he had long hair? And why does a hugely problemed man like Omar keep having kids? Alex is clearly not the man we were initially led to believe (in one scene he is suddenly behind the wheel of a car. Where did this come from?), and only Roy seems to have leveled with us in any way completely. Three of these four talk a good game about fatherhood, yet they don't seem able to play it. But here we get into problems of race and class and history and economics and prejudice and all the rest that Ms Abt refuses to address or perhaps feels it is best to ignore. Being non-judgmental is one thing, but this documentary strikes me as more like sloppy. (Out of all the people on view, your heart will go out most strongly, I suspect, to Omar's daughter Milagros.)

From Pureland Pictures, Daddy Don't Go premieres on Vimeo-on-Demand this coming Sunday, Father's Day, June 19th. You can find it by clicking on this link. 

Noel Calloway's LIFE, LOVE, SOUL: one of the most important family films of the year

It's easy to understand why LIFE, LOVE, SOUL (terrible title, but the film's quite good) was chosen to inaugurate the first annual Fatherhood Image Film Festival, which begins tomorrow -- Monday, August 5 -- up in Harlem. It's all about fatherhood: one that went missing and another that's about to begin. The movie may come off like an After School Special made full-length (its concerns are baldly stated, though they grab us nonetheless), but there is simply no denying the importance of the situation the movie creates nor the strength of the performances that bring that situation to pulsating life.

Life, Love, Soul gives us the story of a talented seventeen-year-old honor student named Roosevelt (Rose, for short), played by terrific newcomer Robbie Tate-Brickle (on poster, center, above), living an elegant lifestyle in what looks like a very solid family situation, who suddenly has all this -- and pretty much everything else -- taken from him when tragedy strikes. Raised by his mom and barely ever knowing his father, he must now move in with that man and his wife.

The film's writer, director, producer and music supervisor, Noel Calloway (at left), may not yet fully understand how to meld his story and theme into something seamless, rhythmic and interestingly paced. Right now, he's all about just getting it up there on the screen. And he's done that -- while giving his actors some prime situations to negotiate, along with some very good dialog to help them do it. No surprise: They all rise to the occasion like the pros they are.

The mother of Rose and his younger brother is played by the gorgeous and energizing Tami Roman (above, of Basketball Wives), and though her screen time is short, she's commands it completely. Chad Coleman essays the difficult role of Rose's estranged father, who seems made of equal parts guilt, anger and buried love. Mr Coleman (below, of The Walking Dead and The Wire) is, by turns, scary, moving, immediate and real.

A new school provides a couple of other helpful people in our boy's life: a girl in his class going through a somewhat similar situation (the sweet, smart Mia Michelle, shown below with Mr. Tate-Brickle), and a teacher/counselor who takes a strong interest in his new star student (Jamie Hector, from The Wire).

Special mention should also be made of the sole white member of the cast, Tamara Faye, shown below, with Mr. Coleman, who plays Rose's stepmother, Jennifer, with great affection, patience and caring. It is her character who helps negotiate for both her husband and his son that tricky road toward detente.

While watching this film, it struck me that, although it is mostly a story about blacks, whose history makes clear the importance of a father figure in the lives of its young, the tale could just as easily be told about white families, or Latinos or people from many different cultures. According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics noted in the press release sent out about the film, 24 million American children — one in three — live in a home without the presence of their biological father.

While fatherhood is a subject vital to Life, Love Soul, so are some other themes and ideas: the importance of education to our young, the meaning of good parenting, and the question/choice of abortion. That last one could have been addressed more strongly here. While we all want to see life as the choice, this works best when there are supportive parents already in place. Otherwise you can end up with something closer to the Precious scenario.

Still, there are enough excellent things to recommend about this movie that I hope New Yorkers will take a trip up to the MIST Harlem Theater, located at 46 W. 116th Street, New York City, where Life, Love, Soul has been tapped as the opener for the first annual Fatherhood Image Film Festival, tomorrow evening, Monday, August 8, at 8 p.m. From the RBC Film Group, the movie is also set for DVD release later this month, on August 27, at major retailers, and will also be available on iN Demand and all other digital outlets, including iTunes.

Hugo Weaving & Tom Russell star in LAST RIDE, Glendyn Ivin's parent-child road trip

Parenting can be a bummer, but having a dad like the character played by Hugo Weaving in the not-so-new (it debuted at TIFF in 2009) Australian movie LAST RIDE, is very nearly no fun at all. The film itself is not a lot of fun, either -- but it is a good one, well worth seeing. The child is question is a young lad who seems bright and capable and might very well make something of himself -- if nature, together with the crummy nurturing he's had up to now, doesn't get the better of him.

As directed by Glendyn Ivin -- shown at left, whose first full-length film this is -- with a screen-play adapted by Mac Gudgeon from the novel by Denise Young, the movie takes the form of a journey by the boy and his dad, across the outback of Australia, as they stay a step or two ahead of the law. Just what dad has done to incur being chased becomes clear over time, and what slowly transpires is a very difficult, sad and untimely coming-of-age tale about a boy who should never have to handle what is thrust upon him here.

As well played by Weaving, above, one of Australia's finest actors, and the excellent young newcomer Tom Russell (below, who made this movie prior The Tree, which opened here one year ago), these two performances command our attention and at least a little of our good will, especially where young Russell's character is concerned.

Kev (Weaving) and Chook (Russell) encounter various folk, tell jokes (two out of three are pretty funny) and have some sweet moments along the way -- which becomes all the sadder as we get a better understanding of how dark and problematic is the character of Kev. Times grow rougher as the journey lengthens: "What are we gonna eat?" asks Chook. "We could catch a dingo," Dad answers. "Can you eat a dog?" the kid wonders.

One of the pleasures of the film lies in its glorious locations, beautifully photographed by Greig Fraser (Bright Star, Snow White and the Huntsman). There's an amazing scene, above, shot on what looks like a vast lake that has but one inch of water covering it.

As times grow bad, Dad gets worse, and so, unfortunately does Chook. There's one scene that suggests that the child could easily grow into the man, and the movie does not try to sugar-coat any of this. Though we've seen countless films about father-and-son bonds so strong that they that can't help but produce a happy ending, Last Ride is having little of this.

The film goes from dark to darker, never losing believability, taking us and Chook to places and actions no child should have to witness or engage. And if there is no light at tunnel's end, there is at least one ray of hope in the memory of something useful dad has taught.

Last Ride -- 100 minutes, released through Music Box Films and not to be confused with the movie of almost the same title The Last Ride), which showed up briefly a week or two back -- opens this Friday, July 6, in New York City at the Cinema Village, while simultaneously becoming available via VOD.

The photos above are from the film itself, except for 

that of Glendyn Ivin, photographed by Jeff Vespa, 

which comes courtesy of WireImage.com

Ben & Joshua Safdie explore fatherhood for flakes in DADDY LONGLEGS

He's one mother of a father, that Lenny, the main character of Ben and Joshua Safdie's (shown below) Sun-
dance-premiered DADDY LONG-
LEGS (originally titled Go Get Some Rosemary, though neither name works particularly well).  In the film's first 20 minutes, Lenny gets into an embarrassing fight with the principal when he picks his kids up from school; does handstands on the sidewalk as they make their way home; teaches the kids handball at the gym (and gets propositioned in the changing room by another male member); meets a young woman in a bar, goes home with her, and then on to a little impromptu vacation to upstate New York with her, his kids -- and his new lady's boyfriend.

Were Lenny -- who is played exceedingly well by Ronald Bronstein (also also helped with this film's script and editing and is the writer/director/editor of the much-acclaimed Frownland) -- not so full of life and energy (and pretty cute, to boot), he might grate on us (and everyone around him in the film) much sooner than he does.  After the family's short vacation, during which we're treated to the seeing and hearing a singing water-skier, we're back in the city at work with Dad (he's a projectionist at what looks to TrustMovies like NYC's Cinema Village theater).

The kids, meanwhile, are back in a school that, from the looks of the math class, is definitely "alternative" but a lot of fun.  One of the teachers on view even sports a black eye.  The Safdie's hand-held camera (the cinematography's by Joshua and Brett Jutkiewicz) catches well many off-the-cuff moments & great facial expressions.

It's when, around halfway along, Lenny (above, left) makes a decision that could truly endanger his kids that the viewer's sympathy  -- mine, at least -- begins to wane badly.  (And yes, being a father myself, I know just how difficult it is to sometimes make the right decision.)  Worse, Dad's reaction to what he has done is almost as crazy and goes against any real, responsible fatherly feelings. And then he takes a further step into full-out stupidity.  (While the event in question is perhaps not as completely unfeeling as is the response of the Bradley Cooper character in The Hangover to leaving an untended baby in an apartment with a full-grown tiger, it comes awfully close.)

Now, this is perfectly OK: If that's who this guy is, let's call a spade a spade.  Yet the filmmakers, not to mention the actor, seem to love Lenny so much that they'll let him get away with just about anything -- which by the finale, he pretty much has.  (From what I can gather, Lenny's character is based somewhat upon the Safdie brothers' own father.)  We don't see the results of Dad's final fling, but if there's any justice in the world (yeah, right), he'll lose complete custody of those kids and be plagued with a bad back for the remainder of his life.

Daddy Longlegs is a constant fight between the male need to flake (and stay a child) and children's need to be cared for.  Unfortun-
ately flake wins, though were the film to continue for another day or two, he would not.  As talented a pair of filmmakers as are the Safdie's -- and they are! -- they've not quite nailed their movie.  What seems to be an ode to (or at least a look at) the plight of part-time-custody dads who balance work, kids and girlfriends is finally in thrall to such an aberrant personality disorder that the movie, good as are many of its parts, finally goes off-orbit. When Lenny pulls his final asshole number, only a few like-minded males will still be on board.

This film completes the trilogy of Sundance Selects titles (7 Days and The Shock Doctrine were covered earlier) that made their debut at the just-ended Sundance Film Festival and will now be available On-Demand from most major cable systems, including Comcast, Cablevision, Cox, Time Warner and satellite provider Direct TV until approximately the end of February.  To find the film, look at the directory of titles available on these cable systems' main movies-on-demand channel.